Horsfield’s Tarsier

The Horsfield’s Tarsier is a tiny primate found in Southeast Asian jungles. Their huge eyes on their small bodies, which may measure up to 1.6 cm in diameter, are their most distinctive characteristic. The tarsier has the biggest eyes in proportion to its body size among mammals. Each eye has the same volume as the brain of the animal. The primate is a little hairy creature with slender limbs. However, their quickness and strong senses compensate for their stature.

Tarsiers evolved their wide-eyed gaze to cope with their nocturnal lifestyle. Light enters the eye and travels to the retina, where it is absorbed in part. The rest strikes the tapetum lucidum and is reflected into the retina, giving it another chance to absorb it. The rest exits through the pupil, which is why if your flashlight into a cat's eye, it glows in the dark.

The Tarsier's eyes, like those of owls, are locked in the skull, making them motionless. Tarsier, in turn, can rotate his head 180 degrees left and right to assist them in observing what is going on around them. Because Tarsiers are nocturnal and only come out at night, their huge eyes provide superb night vision. Furthermore, hearing is quite delicate. Tarsier can identify prey in low light thanks to both of these characteristics.

Scientific Name: Cephalopachus Bancanus
Eye Diameter: About 1,6 cm