Tarsius niemitz

One species of tarsier is the Niemitz's tarsier (Tarsius niemitzi). In 2019, it was given this name in memory of Carsten Niemitz, a German evolutionary researcher. The Togian Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Sulawesi that are home to the species. It is referred to as bunsing, tangkasi, or podi in Indonesian, while Niemitz's tarsier has been proposed as the common name in English.

Scientific classification

Kingdom : Animalia

Order : Primates

Family : Tarsiidae

Genus : Tarsius

Species : Tarsius niemitzi

Geographic distribution

In 1993, scientists Alexandra Nietsch and Carsten Niemitz discovered tarsiers off Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. The discovery led to studies on the tarsier's vocalizations and DNA sequence. A recent study in Primate Conservation confirms the discovery as a new species, named after the father of tarsier field biology, Carsten Niemitz. The tarsier is a small primate type found in the Togean Islands.

Characteristics

Tarsier, also known as T. niemitzi, is a newly discovered species found in the Togean Islands. It lacks a reduced tail tuft, unlike other tarsiers endemic to small islands. The tarsier's duet is structurally simple, possibly the simplest of all known tarsier duets. The study suggests that the Niemitz's tarsier should be classified as endangered due to its isolation on the Togean Islands, cut off from the main island by water depths greater than 120 meters. Tarsiers are the only purely carnivorous primates on Earth, primarily consuming insects and lizards. They have the largest eyes relative to body size of any known mammal, allowing them better night vision even without reflective eyeball tissue. They can't even swivel their eyes in their sockets, a limitation they've adapted to by developing the ability to swivel their heads 180 degrees in either direction, like an owl.

Challenges

Tarsier species in Sulawesi and surrounding islands are being studied by researchers, with 12 known species and at least 16 possible species. The study suggests that funding for wildlife conservation efforts is inadequate to stabilize the loss of habitat and biodiversity within tarsier habitats. However, tarsiers serve as conservation mascots for tourism, flagship species for awareness, and umbrella species to protect other Sulawesian biota. The ability to answer many interesting questions is slipping, and some tarsier species may go extinct before identification.