Lesser spectral tarsier

Description

The pygmy tarsier ( Tarsius pumilus Miller & Hollister,1921 ) is an aplorrine primate of the Tarsid family.Initially classified as a species in its own right,it was then relegated to subspecies of Tarsius spectrum ( T.spectrum pumilus ),from which it is very likely to descend for allopatric speciation,and only in the last fifteen years has regained the status of species.It measures about 27-30 cm,of which more than half belong to the long tail,for an average weight of 120 g.The hair is long,dense and silky-looking: the color is gray-brown or reddish-brown,with a light spot behind the ears,which in this species are very small.Also the tail is covered with hair in the dorsal part (while the ventral one is for a third glabra,probably for its postural function) and of brown-dark or blackish color.The eyes are,as in all the tarsi,large and fixed.The legs have smaller hands than the other tarsi,which indicates that the animal probably tends to use them more for locomotion than to capture and keep their prey.All fingers are equipped with only slightly swollen fingertips and laterally and pointed compressed nails: this specialization has been evolved for the animal's need to have a solid grip while using vertical supports for movement and feeding.Unique among the species of its kind,the pygmy tarsio presents the roots of the nails planted beyond the beginning of the fingertip,instead of after it.