Tarsius pumilus G. S. Miller & Hollister 1921
Creators: name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Anthony B. Rylands
name: Don E. Wilson
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Primates
Tarsiidae
Tarsius
Tarsius pumilus

description: 9.
Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier
Tarsius pumilus
French: Tarsier pygmée / German: Zwergkoboldmaki / Spanish: Tarsero pigmeo
Other common names: Lesser Spectral Tarsier, Mountain Tarsier, Pygmy Tarsier
Taxonomy. Tarsius pumilus G. S. Miller & Hollister, 1921,
Indonesia, Rano Rano, Middle Celebes (= Sulawesi).
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. S & C Sulawesi (known only from Rano Rano and the Latimojong Mts); the distribution is evidently fragmented on isolated mountain tops.
Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.9-7 cm, tail 20-21 cm; weight 48-1-50-1 g (males) and 52-57-5 g (females). The Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier is a small species with long, silky fur like that of the Great Sangihe Tarsier (71. sangirensis). Pelage of the Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier is generally reddishbrown dorsally. The face is red, and ears are small, with a buff-colored spot of fur behind each of them. The tail is relatively short and naked except for the tuft, which widens toward the tip. Teeth are notably small. The uniquely elongated, claw-like nails extend well beyond the digital pads.
Habitat. Hilly and mountainous regions in cloud forest at elevations of 1800-2200 m, where the trees are covered with liverworts and mosses. Morphological analysis of museum specimens of the Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier indicates adaptations to cooler climates.
Food and Feeding. The Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier presumably eats live animal prey such as insects and lizards.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, butit is nocturnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but based on low trapping success ratesit is thought to live at extremely low densities.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier has been long known from only two museum specimens, and, until recently, it had not unambiguously been seen in the wild since 1930. The first specimen was collected at 1800 m above sea level from Rano Rano in the mountains between Palu and Poso, and the second specimen came from 2200 m on Mount Rantemario in southern Sulawesi. The Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier was not reported again until 2000, when one was found dead in a rodent trap at 2200 m on Mount Rore Katimbo. In 2008, scientists succeeded in capturing and releasing three individuals on Mount Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park, with a fourth individual observed high in the tree canopy. These were the first live sightings in more than 80 years, and until this time, the Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier had never been seen or photographed alive. Its estimated distribution is 4112 km?®, but it is known certainly from only three localities. Given the likely low densities of the Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier, more surveys are urgently needed to locate additional populations elsewhere in its presumed distribution and to adequately assess its conservation status. It occurs in Lore Lindu National Park and probably receives some protection on Mount Rantemario.
Bibliography. Groves (2001), Grow & Gursky-Doyen (2010), Gursky et al. (2008), Gursky-Doyen & Grow (2009), Maryanto & Yani (2004), Musser & Dagosto (1987), Shekelle (2008b), Supriatna et al. (2001).
description: Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Tarsiidae, pp. 236-242 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 241, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6631893