Amber & Tarsiers

In zoo class, we learned about the freakiest primate of them all, the tarsier. Tarsiers are in the suborder of Prosimii, which means "pre-monkey," with our friends the lemurs, although there is some debate as to their classification based on specific DNA data and other odd physiognomy. Odd describes these buddies well.


Contrary to popular Google opinion, the tarsier is not the smallest primate; that honor belongs to the pygmy mouse lemur. Tarsiers are found in Southeast Asia, and are nocturnal. They see solely in black & white and their enlarged eyes which allow them to get more light to the retina are as big as their brain. Unlike most other primates which are frugivores and folivors, tarsiers eat insects. Freakily.