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Philippine tarsier
The Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrichta) is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte. It is a member of the approximately 45-million-year-old family Tarsiidae, whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. Formerly a member of the genus Tarsius, it has since been listed as the only member of the genus Carlito, a new genus named after the conservationist Carlito Pizarras.
Its geographic range also includes Maripipi Island, Siargao Island, Basilan Island and Dinagat Island. Tarsiers have also been reported in Sarangani, although they may be different subspecies.
The tarsier is named for its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. This tarsier is known locally as mawumag in Visayan languages including Cebuano, and magô in Waray, It is also known as mamag, magau, malmag, and magatilok-iok.
The Philippine tarsier is the only member of the genus Carlito and a member of the family Tarsiidae. Three subspecies are recognised:
Previously all living tarsiers had been placed in the genus Tarsius, but a 2010 taxonomic revision by Shekelle and Groves placed the distinctive Philippine tarsier in its own genus, Carlito named after Filipino conservationist Carlito Pizarras.
The Philippine tarsier was introduced to Western biologists in the 18th century through the missionary J.G. Camel's description given to J. Petiver of an animal said to have come from the Philippines. Petiver published Camel's description in 1705 and named the animal Cercopithecus luzonis minimus which was the basis for Linnaeus' (1758) Simia syrichta and eventually Carlito syrichta, the scientific name as of 2010.
The IUCN taxonomic note lists two subspecies, but the non-nominate one is poorly defined at present, so the species is treated as a whole. Tarsius syrichta carbonarius and Tarsius s. fraterculus were recognized by Hill (1955) as weakly defined subspecies. Niemitz (1984) found the differences to be insignificant based upon comparisons with museum specimens. Musser and Dagosto (1987) felt that the available museum specimens were insufficient to resolve the issue, but mentioned that Heaney felt that a single male tarsier from Dinagat might be distinct. Groves (2001) did not recognize any subspecies of C. syrichta, but Groves and Shekelle (2010) recognized the subspecies C. s. fraterculus, C. s. syrichta, and C. s. carbonarius when splitting the species of Tarsius into Carlito.
The Philippine tarsier measures 85 to 160 mm (3.35 to 6.30 in) in height, making it one of the smallest primates. The small size makes it difficult to spot. The mass for males is between 80–160 g (2.8–5.6 oz), usually lighter for females, somewhat heavier than other tarsiers such as the pygmy tarsier. The average adult is about the size of an adult human fist.
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Philippine tarsier
The Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrichta) is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte. It is a member of the approximately 45-million-year-old family Tarsiidae, whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. Formerly a member of the genus Tarsius, it has since been listed as the only member of the genus Carlito, a new genus named after the conservationist Carlito Pizarras.
Its geographic range also includes Maripipi Island, Siargao Island, Basilan Island and Dinagat Island. Tarsiers have also been reported in Sarangani, although they may be different subspecies.
The tarsier is named for its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. This tarsier is known locally as mawumag in Visayan languages including Cebuano, and magô in Waray, It is also known as mamag, magau, malmag, and magatilok-iok.
The Philippine tarsier is the only member of the genus Carlito and a member of the family Tarsiidae. Three subspecies are recognised:
Previously all living tarsiers had been placed in the genus Tarsius, but a 2010 taxonomic revision by Shekelle and Groves placed the distinctive Philippine tarsier in its own genus, Carlito named after Filipino conservationist Carlito Pizarras.
The Philippine tarsier was introduced to Western biologists in the 18th century through the missionary J.G. Camel's description given to J. Petiver of an animal said to have come from the Philippines. Petiver published Camel's description in 1705 and named the animal Cercopithecus luzonis minimus which was the basis for Linnaeus' (1758) Simia syrichta and eventually Carlito syrichta, the scientific name as of 2010.
The IUCN taxonomic note lists two subspecies, but the non-nominate one is poorly defined at present, so the species is treated as a whole. Tarsius syrichta carbonarius and Tarsius s. fraterculus were recognized by Hill (1955) as weakly defined subspecies. Niemitz (1984) found the differences to be insignificant based upon comparisons with museum specimens. Musser and Dagosto (1987) felt that the available museum specimens were insufficient to resolve the issue, but mentioned that Heaney felt that a single male tarsier from Dinagat might be distinct. Groves (2001) did not recognize any subspecies of C. syrichta, but Groves and Shekelle (2010) recognized the subspecies C. s. fraterculus, C. s. syrichta, and C. s. carbonarius when splitting the species of Tarsius into Carlito.
The Philippine tarsier measures 85 to 160 mm (3.35 to 6.30 in) in height, making it one of the smallest primates. The small size makes it difficult to spot. The mass for males is between 80–160 g (2.8–5.6 oz), usually lighter for females, somewhat heavier than other tarsiers such as the pygmy tarsier. The average adult is about the size of an adult human fist.