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tarsier

Fauna
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A tarsier is a tiny, nocturnal primate with enormous, bulging eyes and an elongated tarsal bone, enabling incredible leaps, symbolizing the extreme, the alien, and the hyper-alert awareness of the dark jungle.

Detailed Definition
The tarsier's disproportionately huge eyes give it a cartoon-like, almost otherworldly appearance, making it a favorite in poetry for conveying the sense of an alien consciousness watching from the shadows. Its ability to turn its head nearly 180 degrees and its explosive leaps speak to a hyper-vigilant existence. Poets use the tarsier to evoke the dense, vertical world of the Southeast Asian rainforest, the surprising intensity of small creatures, and the strange beauty of adaptations that seem designed by a whimsical, dream-like logic.
Example
Example in poetry:
Wisława Szymborska's "The Tarsier" is written from the tarsier's perspective: "I am a tarsier and a tarsier’s son".; Another poem notes: "the tarsier eye is as large as its brain".; The tarsier can symbolize the alien and the hyper-alert.; Its large eyes represent wonder.; The animal's nocturnal habits are noted.
Additional Notes
Wisława Szymborska's poem "The Tarsier" is written from the perspective of the creature itself, inviting readers to inhabit the small primate's enormous-eyed, nocturnal world. The tarsier's disproportionately huge eyes give it a cartoon-like, almost otherworldly appearance, making it a favorite for conveying the sense of an alien consciousness watching from the shadows. Its ability to turn its head nearly 180 degrees and its explosive leaps speak to a hyper-vigilant existence. Poets use the tarsier to evoke the dense, vertical world of the Southeast Asian rainforest, the surprising intensity of small creatures, and the strange beauty of adaptations that seem designed by a whimsical, dream-like logic.
Also Known As
nocturnal primate big-eyed lemur Philippine sprite
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