The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta), known locally as the Maumag in Cebuano/Visayan

and Mamag in Luzon, is an endangered species endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the
southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly in the islands of Bohol Island, Samar Island,
Leyte Island and Mindanao. It is a member of approximately 45 million years old
FamilyTarsiidae,[3] whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone.[4]

Its geographic range also includes Maripipi Island, Siargao Island, Basilan Island and Dinagat
Island.[2] Tarsiers have also been reported in Sarangani, although they may be different
subspecies.

The Philippine Tarsier is a tiny animal; it measures only about 85 to 160 millimetres (3.35 to
6.30 in) in height, making it one of the smallest primates. The small size makes it difficult to
spot. The mass for males is between 80–160 g (2.8–5.6 oz), usually lighter for females,
somewhat heavier than other Tarsius such as the Pygmy Tarsier.[6] The average adult is about the
size of a human fist and will fit very comfortably in the human hand (see image below).

Like all tarsiers, the Philippine Tarsier's eyes are fixed in its skull; they cannot turn in their
sockets. Instead, a special adaptation in the neck allows its round head to be rotated 180 degrees.
The eyes are disproportionately large, having the largest eye-to-body size ratio of all mammals.
These huge eyes provide this nocturnal animal with excellent night vision.[7] The large
membranous ears are mobile,[8] appearing to be almost constantly moving, allowing the tarsier to
hear any movement.

An angry Philippine Tarsier, showing lower jaw dentition.

The Philippine Tarsier has thin, rough fur which is colored gray to dark brown. The narrow tail,
usually used for balance, is naked or bald except for a tuft of hair at the end, and is about twice
the body length. Its elongated "tarsus," or ankle bone, which gives the tarsier its name, allows it
to jump at least three meters from tree to tree without having to touch the ground.[7] Its long
digits are tipped with rounded pads that allow T. syrichta to cling easily to trees and to grip
almost any surface. The thumb is not truly opposable, but the first toe is. All of the digits have
flattened nails, except for the second and third toes, which have sharp claws specialized for
grooming

The Philippine Tarsier is carnivorous. Primarily insectivorous, its diet consists of live insects and it has
also been observed to feed on spiders, small crustaceans, and small vertebrates such as small lizards and
birds. Tarsius syrichta preys on live insects, particularly crickets and grasshoppers. Upon seizing its prey,
the tarsier carries it to its mouth using both hands. [12]
he Philippine Tarsier is a shy nocturnal[12] animal that leads a mostly hidden life, asleep during
the day and only active to look for food during the night. During the day, it sleeps in dark
hollows close to the ground, near the trunks of trees and shrubs deep in the impenetrable bushes
and forests. They only become active at night, and even then, with their much better sight and
amazing ability to maneuver around trees, are very well able to avoid humans.[5]

It is arboreal[12] and is a vertical clinger and leaper,[8] habitually clinging vertically to trees and
are capable of leaping from branch to branch.

Several legislations have been passed to protect and conserve the Philippine Tarsier. DENR
Administrative Order No. 38, Series of 1991 (DAO No. 38) included the Philippine Tarsier
among the national protected wildlife species and proposed its listing under Appendix 1 of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). More over, the IUCN/SSC
Primate Specialist Group had given the species Conservation Priority Rating 4, which means that
the species is highly vulnerable and threatened by habitat destruction and/or hunting.

Proclamation 1030 was signed by then President of the Philippines Fidel V. Ramos on June 23,
1997, declaring the Philippine Tarsier a specially protected faunal species. [1] The Proclamation
contains that since the Philippine Tarsier, endemic to the Philippines, offers immense ecological,
aesthetic, educational, historical, recreational and scientific value to the country and to the
Filipino people, it is a matter of national concern since it forms part of the Philippine heritage.
The Proclamation thus prohibits the hunting, killing, wounding, taking away, or possession of
the Philippine Tarsier, but that possession for educational, scientific, conservation-centered
research purposes may be allowed upon certification of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary. Further, the DENR is also tasked to collaborate with other
concerned government agencies, NGOs, local government units and local communities in the
conduct of accelerated and expanded field researches and to avail of financial support and
technical cooperation from local and international entities, as may be deemed necessary to
implement the provisions of the Proclamation.[29]

Republic Act No. 7586, otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System
(NIPAS) Act of 1991 mandates the establishment of appropriate sanctuaries to preserve and
protect the Philippine Tarsier.

There are also legislations at the other local level, including Provincial ordinances and
proclamations (Bohol Province), Municipal Ordinances (Corella), Barangay Ordinances
(Canapnapan, etc.).

On July 30, 2001, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act No. 9147
otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act that provided for
the conservation and protection of wildlife resources and their habitats, including the Philippine
Tarsier, and its inclusion as a flagship species.[30]

[edit] Conservation initiatives

Conserving biological diversity involves tools like the protection of natural or semi-natural
ecosystems, the restoration and rehabilitation of degraded lands, and ex-situ conservation
techniques.[31] In-situ conservation is the maintenance of plant and animal genetic material in
their natural habitat. The aim of in-situ conservation is to allow the population to maintain itself
within the community of which it forms part and in the environment to which it is adapted so that
it has the potential for continued evolution.[31] Protected areas are among the most valuable in
situ conservation tool and cost-effective means for preserving genes, species, and habitats and
for maintaining various ecological processes of importance to humanity. They are set aside to
conserve species that cannot be preserved ex-situ and wild crop relatives. The protected areas
system maintain species diversity by protecting the range of different community types and by
allowing for changes in species' distributions. They do this by protecting the diversity of physical
environments containing a range of situations to allow organisms to adjust their local distribution
in response to climate change and linking corridors of natural and modified environments, which
will allow species to change their continental distributions.[31]

Reforestation attempts to restore deforested areas using indigenous tree species are more
consistent with biodiversity conservation strategies such as protected area management and
natural regeneration. This allows for enhanced forest ecological services such as watershed
functions, wildlife habitat, and maintenance. As a result, local biodiversity is protected and
rehabilitated. In trial sites in Leyte, local fauna has been seen to quickly re-colonize the mixed
plantations of rainforestation cooperators/farmers. Birds and fruit bats initially, and then larger
mammals including Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) and Flying Lemur (Cynocephahis
volans) were seen in the sites after four years (Goltenhoth et al. 2000).[32]

[edit] Philippine debt-for-nature swap program

To save the Philippine Tarsier from extinction, the Philippine government has launched various
initiatives. Efforts to conserve the species started in 1988 when a study on the tarsier habitat
requirements was initiated in Corella, Bohol by the Parks and Wildlife Bureau or PAWB under
the financial grant of the Wildlife Conservation International. This was followed by a Philippine
Tarsier Project by Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 7 in 1991-1992
under the Debt-for-Nature Swap Project.[33]

The debt-for-nature swap, first proposed by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in 1984, is a
scheme in which conservation organizations acquired title to debt, either by direct donation from
a bank, or by raising the cash to buy it, and then negotiate with the debtor countries to obtain
debt repayment in local currency at a favorable conversion rate, or to secure conservation
measures/activities.[33]

Haribon Foundation was identified as the local NGO partner in its venture. As the local NGO
partner, Haribon Foundation became the fund manager of the program, thus, all financial
transactions with the Central Bank of the Philippines and the World WWF were handled while
release of funds to all the projects was facilitated. One of the projects implemented on the first
year was the "Endangered Species Conservation: Philippine Tarsier" supervised by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR.[34]