Animal Facts From Our Books

Tarsiers

A close-up of a creature with a brown body and large, shiny eyes, clinging to a tree branch in a green, leafy forest.

Habitat:  Tarsiers live only in the dense forests of Southeast Asian islands. 

 ❖Tarsiers are the smallest primate in the world, about the size of a tennis ball! 

❖Tarsiers have humongous eyeballs! Their eyeballs are as large as their brains!

❖They can twist their necks a full 180 degrees, just like owls. They are nocturnal and the only carnivorous primate.

Threats:  All tarsier species are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss, vulnerability to wild cats and dogs and human poaching for food and as pets.

Asian Elephants

A young elephant standing next to a painting of a tree on an easel outdoors.

 Habitat:  Asian elephants live in the forests and grasslands of Southeast Asia.  

❖Elephants can paint!  Suda, seen in this picture, is a world-famous artist! Incredible!

❖Asian elephants can weigh nearly 6 tons, heavier than 2 medium sized cars!

❖They are very smart, gentle, and super social. Females live with their young in herds for years.

Threats:  Asian elephants are endangered due to habitat loss and illegal poaching for the ivory in their tusks.