Tarsius dentatus
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 dentatus

description: 5.
Dian’s Tarsier
Tarsius dentatus
French: Tarsier de Dian / German: Diana-Koboldmaki / Spanish: Tarsero de Dian
Other common names: Diana Tarsier
Taxonomy. Tarsius fuscus dentatus G. S. Miller & Hollister, 1921,
Indonesia, Labua Sore, north of Parigi, Sulawesi.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. E portion of the central core of Sulawesi to the tip of the E peninsula, the N boundary is the Isthmus of Palu (between Marantale, Ampibabo & Tomini Bay), the S boundary from Lore Lindu National Park to the E coast is unknown, but the W boundary appears to extend at least to the Palu River and S as far as Gimpu.
Descriptive notes. Head-body c.11-8 cm, tail 25-27 cm; weight 104-135 g (males) and 95-110 g (females). Dian’s Tarsier tends to be slightly larger than tarsiers found elsewhere on Sulawesi. The body is grayish-buff, usually with a black spot on both sides of the nose. There are white hairs around the mouth and naked patches at the base of each ear. Skin of the hands, feet, and tail is noticeably darker.
Habitat. Primary and secondary lowland rainforest, mangrove forest, forest gardens, and other habitats providing adequate shrubby cover. Dian’s Tarsier occurs in Lore Lindu National Park, but although some of the lowland forest there is still preserved, itis relatively limited; c¢.70% of the Park is hilly and montane at 1000-1500 m above sea level, with 3100 mm rainfall/year.
Food and Feeding. Dian’s Tarsier eats mainly insects such as moths and crickets, along with small vertebrates such as frogs and lizards.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Dian’s Tarsier is nocturnal and arboreal. It prefers dense vegetation or tree cavities for sleeping. Normally only one sleeping site and two or three alternative sites are used. Dian’s Tarsiers move farthest shortly after dusk andjust before dawn, with bouts of total inactivity interspersed with moving and foraging throughout the night. Near dawn they sing territorial duets and travel rapidly (as fast as 100 m/ 15 minutes) back to their sleeping sites.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Dian’s Tarsier lives in small monogamous or polygamous family groups of 2-7 individuals, with more than one adult of the same sex living in the same home range. In a study on the north-eastern boundary of Lore Lindu National Park, home ranges were 1-1-1-8 ha, depending upon habitat type; the smallest home ranges were in lightly disturbed habitats and the largest in heavily disturbed habitats. The most heavily disturbed habitats were affected by herbicides, reducing insect abundance and the density of locomotory supports for tarsiers. Male home ranges were a little larger than those of females, 1-8 ha compared to 1-6 ha. Home ranges of mated pairs overlapped extensively, but overlap was minimal with members of other groups. Nightly distances moved were 600-1260 m and varied by habitat, with the longest movements in the most heavily disturbed habitats. Population surveys of Dian’s Tarsier in Lore Lindu found densities of 129 ind/km?. Densities were higher in secondary forest (250 ind/km?®) than in primary forest (22 ind/km?). Surveysin habitats with a variety of human disturbance near Kamarora, on the edge of Lore Lindu National Park, found densities of 268 ind/km?” in pristine habitat, 187 ind/km? in slightly disturbed habitat, 129 ind/km? for moderately disturbed habitat, and 45 ind/km? in heavily disturbed habitats. Dian’s Tarsier is scarce in forest at higher elevations.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Dian’s Tarsier is protected under Indonesian law. It is threatened mainly by massive habitat loss due to illegal logging and hunting. Other threats include agricultural pesticides, predation by domestic dogs and cats, and the pet trade. It occurs in two large protected areas, Lore Lindu National Park and Morowali Nature Reserve, but both areas suffer from illegal hunting and forest loss. Lore Lindu has been invaded by refugees (possibly illegal loggers), and entire villages have been built in the Park. Hunting is common in Lore Lindu. Rattan (abundant in the park) harvesting and logging degrade the forest, which is also burned for conversion to coffee and cacao plantations. Morowali Nature Reserve is hunted, and tarsiers are pursued with dogs and blowguns. The forest there is cut for slash-and-burn agriculture, and large tracts are burned for dry rice farming. Although Dian’s Tarsier can be abundant in lowland and especially secondary forest,it is scarcer at higher elevations, and a large part ofits distribution inland Sulawesi is montane.
Bibliography. Groves (2001), Gursky (1998a, 1998b, 2007a, 2007b), Gursky et al. (2008), Merker (2003, 2006a, 2010), Merker & Yustian (2008), Merker & Muhlenberg (2000), Merker, Driller, Perwitasari-Farajallah, Pamungkas & Zischler (2009), Merker, Driller, Perwitasari-Farajallah, Zahner & Zischler (2007), Merker, Yustian & Muhlenberg (2005), Niemitz (1979b, 1984a, 1984c), Niemitz et al. (1991), Shekelle et al. (1997), Supriatna et al. (2001), Tremble et al. (1993), Yustian et al. (2008).
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 240, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6631893