Tarsius lariang: A New Primate Species from Western Central Sulawesi

Abstract

On the basis of morphological, anatomical, and acoustic analyses, the tarsiers of the Gimpu region on Sulawesi belong to a previously undescribed species of the genus Tarsius Storr, 1780. We describe the new taxon as Tarsius lariang new species. In November 2001, S. Merker collected 8 specimens of Tarsius lariang near Gimpu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Four of them were transferred to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences at Cibinong to be held in an enclosure, and after their deaths become part of the collection of the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Bogor. The new species is distinctive in pelage, skull, and body proportions, and in vocalization. We describe the unique territorial duet song characteristic for them and place the taxon into a biogeographic framework developed in previous studies.