Primates Habitats

2 Pages 492 Words

Primates Habitats


Primates have a very highly developed Cerebrum, the part of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body. Primates are closely related to the ancient insectivores. One of the important adaptions of primates is that they adapt to life in trees. Primates have flatter faces, a small nose and their eyes only point forward.
Tarsius syrichta is a small mammal in the order of Primates. Their colors vary depending on the region of the Philippines that they inhabit. Some have reddish/brown hair. They are only six inches long, the size of a young boy's hand. They have a ten inch long tail. Tarsiers have large ears, resembling a bat, and round faces. The area surrounding their eyes is usually darker than their body, with no white marks anywhere on the face. Their eyes are huge, and their vision is of small range. In proportion to their body, their eyes are the largest among mammals. The tarsier's great hearing coupled with their amazing sense of sight make them highly successful nocturnal hunters. Their heads can be rotated one hundred and eighty degrees. The legs and arms of these tarsiers are long and slender. They have pads on their fingers and toes to help cling to branches. Their legs are strong and they are capable of jumping great distances, up to twenty feet. Tarsiers differ from prosimians because of several characteristics. These include two grooming claws on each foot, lack of a toothcomb formed by the lower canines and incisors, and a diploid number of eighty chromosomes. Tarsiers are also less vocal than many other primates.
The Philippine tarsier is found in areas of tall grasses, bushes, bamboo shoots, and small trees in tropical rainforests. They enjoy the canopy of the jungle, leaping from limb to limb. Tarsiers develop excellent leaping skills.
Breeding occurs throughout the year. Tarsier females bear a single young. The gestation period lasts six months. Recent research shows that t...