Wallace's tarsier

Wallace's tarsier, Tarsius wallacei is a recently described species of tarsier. It is found in the forests of Central Sulawesi where there are two separate populations. It is a small brown arboreal mammal less than 15 cm (6 in) long.

Wallace's tarsier
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Family: Tarsiidae
Genus: Tarsius
Species:
T. wallacei
Binomial name
Tarsius wallacei
Merker et al. (2010)

Taxonomy

Wallace's tarsier was first described as T. wallacei by Stefan Merker et al. in 2010, the type locality being about 9 km (6 mi) south of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, near the village of Uwemanje. There are two separate populations which are morphologically similar but differ in the size of the animal. The new species was named in honour of the British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace.[2]

Description

Wallace's tarsier is similar in size and appearance to other lowland tarsiers and has a head-and-body length of between 10 and 15 cm (4 and 6 in). It is larger than the pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus). It has large eyes, a clearly defined facial-mask, white spots behind its ears and a long tail with a large bushy tail-tuft. Its fur is yellowish-brown and its throat is copper-coloured. Although morphologically similar to other species of tarsier found on Sulawesi, it has a distinctive duetting call, and genetic analysis shows that its mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA sequences, and its microsatellite allele frequencies, are unique.[2]

Distribution and habitat

Wallace's tarsier is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. There are two separate populations separated by Palu Bay, the capital city and the south part of the Isthmus of Palu. The southern population occupies an area of approximately 50 km2 (19 sq mi). This tarsier is arboreal and is found in both primary and secondary forest and in degraded areas.[1]

Status

Wallace's tarsier has a limited range, especially the southern form. The total population is unknown but is thought to be decreasing as forest is cleared to make way for plantation crops. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as "vulnerable". The northern population includes the Gunung Sojol Nature Reserve within its range. However, the southern population has such a small range that any setback to the population could have a high impact.[1]

References
  1. Merker, S. & Shekelle, M. (2020). "Tarsius wallacei". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2020: e.T195277A17977659. Retrieved 17 December 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Merker, S.; Driller, C.; Dahruddin, H.; Wirdateti; Sinaga, W.; Perwitasari-Farajallah, D.; Shekelle, M. (2010). "Tarsius wallacei: A new tarsier species from central Sulawesi occupies a discontinuous range". International Journal of Primatology. 31 (6): 1107–1122. doi:10.1007/s10764-010-9452-0. S2CID 28437698.
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