Yes they do have quite bulbous little noses I agree which probably does accentuate them looking a bit more man than beast. Interesting, haven't really considered this perspective before.
I'm going to have to say that I find the Lorises and pottos to be a bit more interesting than the tarsiers. I suppose this is due to them being far more primitive, aspects of their evolution, ecology and conservation and of course the venom of the loris (and probable cobra mimicry) which I find absolutely fascinating. Aesthetically I also find the lorises (and pottos) more appealing with their huge eyes, teddy bear appearance (or emaciated teddy bear in the case of the slender loris) and slow and deliberate movements. That said, I also find the tarsiers to be fascinating little creatures and I also find their appearance to also be enchanting. When it comes to seeing these animals the tarsiers win hands down. I have seen the lorises (both slender and slow) and pottos in captivity so I am not really as interested in seeing more of these as I am in seeing the tarsier which I have never seen.
Pottos are interesting because I thought they were just African lorises, but they are much more than that with their weird fingers and their stumpy tail.
The behaviour of the potto is quite fascinating for me too. I was amazed to read an article about them showing truly altruistic behaviour towards their cagemates in captivity, very moving, makes them even more endearing to me and literally blew my mind.
While I haven't seen a tarsier in real life and don't get me wrong I would love to see one! However for some reason I find loris more attractable compared to tarsiers, the latter looks spooky (nothing wrong with that ofcourse) while loris are 'cuter'. I also got a weak spot for potto's so if I have to chose, it would be the loris for me.
That is interesting, I would agree that the tarsier does have a bit of a more sinister / eerie vibe (though I also find it cute) than the lorises. That said, looks can be deceiving as it is the loris (as cute as it seems) that could potentially be more dangerous with its venom. I've heard that this venomous bite could be fatal for humans in some circumstances. If I'm honest its probably that mix of cute and dangerous that makes the loris even more appealing to me. A fellow potto fan So it is now : lorises-3 tarsiers-5 The gap is narrowing.
Lorises slowly (pun intended) catching up now : Lorises- 4 Tarsiers-5 I guess you would probably remember seeing one if you had as tarsiers look like no other animal.
I guess lorises? They're slightly less creepy than tarsiers. I probably saw them at Bristol but don't remember
Lorises and Tarsiers now at a draw. I've been to Bristol zoo many years ago but unfortunately this must have not been during the time that they kept tarsiers and I didn't see any. Do you have a favourite loris species ? Interesting , why do you find the tarsier creepy ? is it the eyes ?
No favorite. Definitely the eyes. I don't like big-eyed things usually, and I'm not crazy about primates in general. I'm warming up a bit, though.
Funny enough it took me a while to be interested in primates (though now they absolutely fascinate me) and I'm a bit of a late bloomer in this sense too. I read Goodall, Fossey and Galdikas as a teen but never felt much interest in primates (though I've always been far more interested in the new world primates) and when I was at university some of the most unpleasant lecturers / professors / PhD students were actually primatologists ( studying great apes). So it comes to me as quite a big suprise that I should have developed this interest and became involved in primate conservation and I like to think that I'm doing this now in spite of those crappy lecturers. There is of course a huge satisfaction in working towards achieving actual tangible real world conservation goals for endangered neotropical primates.
Hmm... tough call, but if I have to pick, I’m gonna say tarsiers. As I kid, I remember learning about tarsiers first, and I was really intrigued by them. They really are unique animals, sticking out to anyone for their appearance, but to the especially interested how despite looking kind of like lemurs or bushabies, they’re actually dry-nosed primates more closely related to monkeys and apes. Lorises, I actually remember first reading about them and immediately thinking of them as a less interesting version of tarsiers (both being primitive primates from the Asian tropics), though I did become more fascinated with them a few years later, around which time I actually managed to get a plush slow loris at the London Zoo. Now, though I think both primate groups are really cool, I’m still gonna say I prefer tarsiers due to their aforementioned uniqueness, as well as exoticism seeing how very few zoos, I believe none on my side of the globe, are able to keep them, whereas lorises are (fortunately) more accessible for me.
It seems like tarsiers are now once again in the lead. I think the rarity of this animal in zoos seems to be a commonly mentioned point in the tarsiers favour in this thread. I certainly want to see one of these (and hopefully will) and definitely share the fascination you feel for these little goblins.
When I was younger and first learned about lorises, I was suddenly so interested in them that when I was 7 I asked if I could have a birthday cake shaped like a loris. That didn't happen, but I have always enjoyed lorises a little more than Tarsiers simply just I am absolutely absorbed in there lifestyle. Being slow moving creatures, you would think they would be vulnerable to carnivorous mammal predators, but they somehow slip right past them. Also, loving nocturnal animals as a young child, I can now even more greatly appreciate them for what they have to go through at night. Also, the Venomous traits the slow lorises from Southeast Asia is just Amazing. Now, I'm not saying I don't like Tarsiers, but I never really had the same connection learning about Lorises than I do with Tarsiers. I am also heavily partial to lorises just because they look like Teddy bears but cuter. I like Tarsiers, but they are just a little too... Alien for me. I Love strange creatures, but these ones just don't quite have that effect on me. When I see a slow loris moving around at a zoo, I stop and stare in aw. With tarsiers, I just would not as spend much time with them. Even though I have not seen one before at a zoo. I am growing to like Tarsiers a little more but not by much. The pretty colors of the Javan slow loris, the strange Angwantibo's, the Slender lorises very cute eyes, and Bushbabies are just so adorable. So I would have to say Lorises.
Once again, lorises and tarsiers at a tie. That is interesting that you mention this. It is another thing which seems to be commonly mentioned in this thread by people who prefer the loris: the way that the tarsier is not as aesthetically appealing due to the "alien" / slightly more anthropoid appearance which contrasts with the "teddy bear" appearance of the loris. I wonder if there is an "uncanny valley" type effect going on here when some people see the tarsier ? it is quite interesting to consider.
Yeah, I don't know. Maybe they are a little bit uncanny, but I kinda knew that a lot of people thought tarsiers were pretty strange. I mean, I remember showing my dad a picture of one, and he thought it was the strangest thing he had ever seen in his life. It might be just coincidence, but an interesting thought @Onychorhynchus coronatus
I'm not sure whether the "uncanny valley" effect theory can even apply to animals as it is more noted in peoples perceptions of non-living objects like artificial intelligence and dolls etc. But that theory did just come immediately to mind when reading your comment about tarsiers and I had to mention it.
I'm not sure if it could be labeled the uncanny valley effect but I definitely know many people who dislike or are turned off by non-human primates, particularly apes, due to their similarities to human faces. ~Thylo
