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Tarsius fuscus
Tarsius-fuscus
Information
Range Indonesia in the southwestern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, near Makassar.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Primates
Family Tarsiidae
Genus Tarsius
Species Tarsius fuscus

Tarsius fuscus is a species of tarsier. Its range is in Indonesia in the southwestern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, near Makassar. At one point the taxon was downgraded to a junior synonym of the spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier). However, when that species' range was restricted to the population on a single island near Sulawesi, this nomen was resurrected to contain the remainder of that species.

Taxonomic Confusion[]

The taxonomy of the tarsiers from Sulawesi has long been confused. Tarsius fuscus was initially described by Fischer in 1804. The species was subsequently renamed twice inadvertently, as Tarsius fuscomanus in 1812 by Geoffroy and as Tarsius fischeri in 1846 by Burmeister. In 1953 William Charles Osman Hill concluded that the type locality of Tarsius spectrum was actually Makassar, although it was stated to have come from Ambon. As a result, Hill concluded that Tarsius fuscus was a junior synonym of Tarsius spectrum was later determined to be a junior synonym of Tarsius tarsier. Tarsius spectrum was later determined to be a junior synonym of Tarsius tarsier. In 2010, Groves restricted T. tarsier to just those tarsiers on the island of Selayar, making the name Tarsius fuscus valid once again for the tarsiers near Makassar.

Description[]

Tarsius fuscus has generally reddish-brown fur. The hair at the end of the tail is black. It has shorter skull and shorter toothrows than most other tarsiers. It also has shorter hind feet than other tarsiers. The tail is shorter relative to body size than most tarsiers, representing 143% to 166% of the body length.

Natural History[]

All Tarsius species are nocturnal and arboreal. Like all Tarsius, Tarsius fuscus is exclusively carnivorous and insectivorous, generally capturing prey by leaping on it.

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