tarsier

American  

[tahr-see-er, -see-ey] / ˈtɑr si ər, -siˌeɪ /

noun

1. any member of the three genera (Carlito , Cephalopachus ,Tarsius ) of the family Tarsiidae, inhabiting Indonesia, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian islands, characterized as a small, arboreal, nocturnal primate with velvety fur, very large eyes, a long tail, and very long hind limbs: all populations are dwindling and considered vulnerable to extinction.

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tarsier British  

/ ˈtɑːsɪə /

noun

1. any of several nocturnal arboreal prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius, of Indonesia and the Philippines, having huge eyes, long hind legs, and digits ending in pads to facilitate climbing: family Tarsiidae

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Etymology

Origin of tarsier

First recorded in 1770–75; from French, equivalent to tarse “ankle bones, tarsus” + -ier; so named for its extremely long tarsi by Georges Buffon; see origin at tarsus, -ier ²

Explanation

A tarsier is a very small, big-eyed primate that lives in Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia and Malaysia. Tarsiers live in forests, spending most of their lives in the trees. They cling upright to the vertical surfaces of tree trunks, and they propel themselves from tree to tree by pushing off with their long, powerful hind limbs. Tarsiers are the only primates that are totally carnivorous — they primarily eat insects, but sometimes snack on lizards, bats, and other small animals. The most distinctive thing about tarsiers is their enormous eyes; in some species, each of a tarsier's eyeballs is as big as or larger than its brain. Tarsiers get their name from their long tarsal, or toe bones.

Example Sentences

“Whether it’s a monitor lizard on the beach or a tarsier in a tree, be prepared to really see what it means to be a mega-biodiverse country.”

From National Geographic • Jan. 28, 2021

Some of the skeleton’s anatomical characteristics resemble in miniature those of its tarsier lineage.

From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2013

Or to put it another way, are you more like a lemur or a tarsier?

From Time • Jun. 5, 2013

Was it big like a monkey or small like a tarsier?

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2013

They looked something like the eyes of an Earthian tarsier, but the tarsier were bloody little beasts.

From Black Eyes and the Daily Grind by Marlowe, Stephen