Tarsius lariang Merker & Groves 2006
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 lariang

description: 10.
Lariang Tarsier
Tarsius lariang
French: Tarsier du Lariang / German: Lariang-Koboldmaki / Spanish: Tarsero de Lariang
Taxonomy. Tarsius lariang Merker & Groves, 2006,
Gimpu (01° 38” S, 120° 02” E, 500 m above sea level), west of Lore-Lindu National Park, ¢.5 km north of the River Lariang, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. WC Sulawesi in the Lariang River Basin near the confluence with its tributary, the Meweh River, and extending N as far as Gimpu; the precise limits of its distribution have yet to be determined and it distribution may be much larger than what has been confirmed to date. It is known to be parapatric with Dian’s Tarsier (1. dentatus) on the E boundary ofits distribution.
Descriptive notes. Head-body average 12-1 cm (males, n = 12) and 11-8 cm (females, n = 22), tail average 24 cm (males, n = 12) and 24-7 cm (females, n = 23); weight average 118 g (males, n = 12) and 102 g (females, n = 23). The Lariang Tarsier is a distinctive form, differentiated from tarsiers of mainland Sulawesi by its unique features of pelage, body proportions, skull, and vocalizations. It has very dark gray-buff pelage, lacking brown tones on the thighs. Its tail is very dark (often blackish) with a thick, black terminal tuft. It has well-marked thick, black paranasal stripes and well-marked black eye-rims. Hairs around the mouth are whitish, and there is a small bare spot at the base of each ear. The third digit of the hand is absolutely longer than in any other Sulawesi mainland tarsier. The Lariang Tarsier has a unique duet; distinguished from other members of the genus in that entire individual notes of the female song are upwardly frequency modulated. The Lariang Tarsier is the largest of the mainland Sulawesi tarsiers, and, compared to island forms, smaller only than the Great Sangihe Tarsier (7. sangirensis) of Sangir Island.
Habitat. Primary and secondary lowland rainforest, mangrove forest, and forest gardens. The elevational range is believed to be up to 1100-1500 m. A study just southwest of Lore Lindu National Park near the village of Peana found Lariang Tarsiers in secondary growth of various stages of succession in a mosaic of shrub, forest, plantations, and gardens.
Food and Feeding. The Lariang Tarsier eats mainly insects, along with some small vertebrates such as frogs and lizards.
Breeding. A study of their genetic relatedness showed that most of the young were the offspring of the group adults, indicating a monogamous social and genetic mating system, but there is evidence for extrapair young in groups in which adult pairs exhibit close relationships (facultative polygyny).
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but it is nocturnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Lariang Tarsiers live in small groups and show social and territorial behavior, including sleeping-site associations and morning duet calls, similar to other tarsiers on Sulawesi. Field observations found that ten of eleven social groups were composed of one adult male, one adult female, and up to two putative offspring. They shared sleeping sites and foraged together. The eleventh group in the study possibly had more than nine individuals. The social structure of the groups was not established, but they foraged in subgroups of varying composition and size and came together at dawn at the same sleeping site. Multiple individuals performed duet songs. Both males and females disperse to other groups.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Habitat loss and illegal logging are undoubtedly the major threats to populations of the Lariang Tarsier. They are also affected by agricultural pesticides, predation by dogs and cats, and capture for the pet trade. The Lariang Tarsier is believed to occur only below 1100-1500 m, but further surveys are needed to better understand its distribution and conservation status. It occurs in the Lore Lindu National Park.
Bibliography. Driller et al. (2009), Groves (2001), MacKinnon & MacKinnon (1980a), Merker (2006b), Merker & Groves (2006), Merker et al. (2009), 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 pages 241-242, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6631893