Tarsier , common name for any of four species of primates found in Indonesia, Borneo, and the Philippine Islands that are slightly smaller than full-grown rats. Tarsiers have soft, furry bodies and slender limbs. They are brownish-gray, with large, rounded heads, the most conspicuous features of which are enormous, gogglelike eyes adapted for the animals' nocturnal life-style. The muzzle is short, and the ears are long and rounded. The hind limbs are especially modified for leaping. The fingers and toes are extremely long and are equipped with fleshy disks that provide traction. The tail is long and ends in a tuft of hair. The animals are arboreal and forage for food, usually insects and lizards, only at night. They are primarily solitary. Breeding takes place throughout the year. One species, the spectral tarsier, has olive markings on its body and black markings on its head and face .