Tarsier CARE

18/08/2025

One of the earliest behavioral studies of Philippine tarsiers in the wild was conducted in Mt. Pangasugan, Leyte (Dagosto et al., 2001). It's incredible to see tarsiers still inhabiting the area, even those within state university campus grounds!

Reference:

Dagosto, M., Gebo, D. L., & Dolino, C. (2001). Positional behavior and social organization of the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta). Primates, 42(3), 233-243.

SO THERE ARE TARSIERS IN VSU? Yes!

I took this photo within the VSU campus many years ago using a DSLR. Yes, there are tarsiers here! (The common misconception is that they are only found in Bohol, but they also exist in other Philippine islands.)

The backstory:

Former President Milan asked me through a research assistant to take photos of tarsiers for a project. The RA contacted someone who knows how to find them.

Tarsiers are nocturnal. So at about 5 PM, right before dusk, my friends and I gathered at a spot right beyond Molave Hill (that road up behind the VSU upper oval). Further up.

I brought my camera kit. Canon 60D, 18-135mm lens, external flash.

We waited in a shrubby spot about 20 meters from the road and waited. We listened for shrill sounds, a little like those of rats, but long and sustained.

Those were the tarsier sounds.

Our guide lit up his flashlight from time to time, from where the sounds came from. The squeaks became nearer and nearer. Soon enough, we spotted them. That night, we found three.

We didn't try to catch them. I only took photos in their natural habitat. To keep them still, we just trained our flashlights right to their face so they can't see. (That's why their pupils look so small—but actually in the dark it can get really big so they can see.)

And then off we went. We had a lot of fun encountering tarsiers. I had several good shots.

But this photo is one of the best.

I wonder if they're still there? In that same exact spot. But I'm sure they're still here somewhere in our forests.

Perhaps other Better Viscans will find them again soon.

15/08/2025

It's Tupi Thursday (on a Friday!) ✨

We know ... we're running a little late with our Tupi Thursday update this week because our team has been busy at the Philippine Biodiversity Symposium in Iloilo. In any case, we got news that's too good not to share!

Remember the individual we saw sleeping with the adult male 709? A few weeks back, our partners encountered them again and got a closer look. It seemed like 709's partner was pregnant, but we had no way to confirm during the moment as we opted not to capture and disturb them in their sleeping site.

Turns out, we were right! Just this week, we saw 709's partner huddled with its baby. She might have been pregnant for a while now, because the period of pregnancy (gestation length) of tarsiers is about 6 months, which is pretty long for a small creature, considering human babies stay in their mother's womb for 9 months.

Apologies in advance for the quality of the video. Our partners are doing their best to share what they can with limited equipment, using just their phones to record observations. Hopefully, we get more support in the future to improve the quality of our documentation. Nonetheless, rare moments like this are special, and we're fortunate enough to witness and share it with you. Hear it first hand from Joshua!

13/08/2025

We've got some pretty exciting things to share about the tarsiers in Siargao, and we're beyond grateful to have the chance to work with LGU Del Carmen and explore avenues for long-term research and conservation of this unique population. Salamat karajaw!

12/08/2025

Hayup!

We're here attending the Philippine Biodiversity Symposium at the Central Philippine University in Iloilo, showcasing (and selling) some of our biodiversity-themed wooden toys. Come drop by and say hi!

31/07/2025

It’s Tupi Thursday!

Tarsiers sure know how to make the most of their habitat. While tarsiers often sleep in thickets or trees, they sometimes pick unexpected resting spots. Here is 631 cozily tucked between branches and wrapped inside a dried leaf—a clever little hideout! 🌿

18/07/2025

Go, tarsier, go! 💨

Just look at how speedy this little boi is. And no, this video isn't sped up!

Tarsiers evolved an extreme form of vertical clinging and leaping that lets them navigate the forest with incredible agility (Rosenberger, 2010). We always see them sleeping or resting during the day, but don't be fooled, because these tiny primates are built for speed and precision in the trees.

Our laboratory just finished the first leg of fieldworks on Dinagat Island last week through the support of the DOST National Research Council of the Philippines, and our colleagues will be sharing more of their findings during the upcoming Philippine Biodiversity Symposium organized by the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines in Iloilo city this August. Follow us and the Biodiversity Research Laboratory page for more updates on our work on tarsiers and Philippine biodiversity.

Reference:

Rosenberger, A. L. (2010). The skull of Tarsius: functional morphology, eyeballs, and the nonpursuit predatory lifestyle. International journal of primatology, 31(6), 1032-1054.

17/07/2025

It's Tupi Thursday!

Last week, we introduced you to 709, a small but fascinating adult male tarsier we’ve been following for weeks. For the first time, we spotted him sleeping with another tarsier.

Well, he’s back in the spotlight again, but take a closer look at this photo. How many eyes do you see? 👀

1... 2... 3... 4... 5?

Yup, that’s right! 709 is sharing his sleeping site with not only one companion, but two! Seems like 709 is getting comfortable showing us his family. 💚

Stay tuned for more wild (and sleepy) updates from the field!

10/07/2025

It's Tupi Thursday!

Serving you some late-night updates from our early morning monitoring session 😅

We've been tracking several adult male tarsiers for a while now, and one of them, tagged 709, kind of stood out. He's unusually small for an adult, and spends most of his mornings in bamboo thickets and piper stands near the edge of plantations. Since we started observing him early this June, we've never seen him sharing sleeping sites with another individual. That is, until today! Could this be his partner? We're just as curious as you are -- stay tuned!

08/07/2025

We’re cooking something special for the upcoming Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines Symposium, starting with this little wooden tarsier! 👀

Our dear friend, Minnie Pangilinan, designer from UP CFA Fablab, has been busy prototyping, turning our favorite animals into toys that inspire curiosity and spark love for wildlife.

We want to hear from you! What other Philippine animals would you want to see as toys? Comment down below! 👇

Video credit: Minnie Pangilinan

06/07/2025

📢 [Publication Alert] 📢

We're excited to share our latest study on Philippine tarsiers and their reactions to camera traps--a powerful tool often considered non-intrusive in wildlife research. Our findings suggest that tarsiers may not be as indifferent to these devices like some other species. Could it be the light, the sound, or just the novelty?

Send a message to learn more

01/07/2025

There's more to Siargao Island than stunning beaches and surf-worthy waves. 🌊 Did you know Siargao also has vast expanses of mangrove forest that happen to be inhabited by Philippine tarsiers? Yes, you read that right -- tarsiers in Siargao...tarsiers in mangroves! 🌿

We're currently at the mangrove reserve managed by the Siargao Islands Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Inc. (SIWCFI), tracking some tarsiers until the 11th of July. How do these tiny primates live in such unexpected habitats and how are they different from other Philippine tarsiers? We're excited to find out! 🔎✨

This fieldwork was made possible by the Biodiversity Research Laboratory through funding from Re:wild. We also acknowledge the DENR Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of the Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape, Dir. Deny Valencia Comon of SIWCFI, and Mayor JR Coro of Del Carmen for accommodating us.