Quick answer
IUCN status: VulnerableHorsfield's tarsier at a glance
Horsfield's tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus) is a mammal in the family Tarsiidae. Range in Indonesia: Bangka, Belitung, southern Sumatra, Borneo, Karimata and the Natuna Islands. Diet: insects and small vertebrates; wholly carnivorous; a carnivore. IUCN Red List status: Vulnerable. It is a legally protected species in Indonesia (Regulation P.106/2018).
| Scientific name | Cephalopachus bancanus |
|---|---|
| Indonesian name | Mentilin |
| Group | Mammals |
| Family | Tarsiidae |
| Range in Indonesia | Bangka, Belitung, southern Sumatra, Borneo, Karimata and the Natuna Islands |
| Linked habitats | Tropical Rainforests, Mangroves |
| Diet | Insects and small vertebrates; wholly carnivorous |
| Range in Indonesia | Bangka, Belitung, southern Sumatra, Borneo, Karimata, Natuna |
| Key feature | Huge eyes, very long hind legs, long tail |
| Other names | Western tarsier, mentilin, Tarsius bancanus |
| Provincial identity animal | Bangka Belitung Islands |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable · IUCN Red List (via GBIF) · checked 1 October 2026 |
| Legal protection in Indonesia | Protected · Regulation P.106/2018 · annex no. 119 |
| Diet type | Carnivore (meat-eater) — insects and small vertebrates (birds, small mammals, reptiles); wholly carnivorous · Animal Diversity Web |
| Reproduction | Giving birth to live young (viviparous) · Animal Diversity Web |
| Observance days | Indonesian Primate Day (30 January) |
| Active | Nocturnal (active at night) · Handbook of the Mammals of the World (via Zenodo) |
In this guide (11)
What is the mentilin?
Mentilin is the Bangka islanders' name for Horsfield's or western tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus), a tiny nocturnal primate with enormous eyes. A 2024 BRIN Press book gives a body length of 12–15 cm, a tail of 18–22 cm, and weights of about 128 g for males and 117 g for females. Each eyeball measures about 16 mm across.
The genus Cephalopachus holds a single species with four subspecies. Strictly, the mentilin is C. b. bancanus of Bangka and southern Sumatra. C. b. saltator lives on Belitung, C. b. borneanus on Borneo and Karimata, and C. b. natunensis in the Natuna Islands. Indonesia's protected-species annex still uses the older name Tarsius bancanus.
Evidence: Penerbit BRIN — Syafutra (2024), Mentilin: Si Mungil dari Pulau Seribu Kulong, dalam Membingkai Satwa Primata Indonesia dalam Tiga Pilar (bab 13) ↗ · Mongabay Indonesia (2024) — Merawat Kebun Bersama Mentilin, Mungkinkah? ↗
Where does the mentilin live?
The mentilin lives on Bangka, Belitung, southern Sumatra, Borneo, Karimata and the Natuna Islands. In Bengkulu it is called kera buku or singapuar, and in Lampung krabuku. According to Animal Diversity Web (ADW), its Sumatran range is thought to be bounded to the north by the Musi River.
It uses primary and secondary forest, forest edges, mangroves and fruit gardens, mostly in the lowlands. On Bangka, Syafutra's research found it mainly in old rubber gardens over 10 years old, mixed with bamboo or pepper. The mentilin is the identity animal of the Bangka Belitung Islands province under Home Affairs Ministerial Decree No. 522.53-958/2010.
Evidence: Penerbit BRIN — Syafutra (2024), Mentilin: Si Mungil dari Pulau Seribu Kulong, dalam Membingkai Satwa Primata Indonesia dalam Tiga Pilar (bab 13) ↗ · Animal Diversity Web — Tarsius bancanus, western tarsier ↗ · Pemerintah Provinsi Sumatera Barat (Humas, 2017) — Fauna Sekaligus Maskot Prov. Sumbar (daftar fauna identitas provinsi; Bangka Belitung: mentilin, Tarsius bancanus) ↗
What does the mentilin eat?
The mentilin is wholly carnivorous: it eats insects and small animals, not fruit or leaves. Prey includes beetles, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, moths and butterflies, as well as spiders, birds, small fruit bats, frogs, lizards, mice and snakes.
It hunts at night. It turns its ears to pick up insect sounds, confirms the target by sight from 6–10 m away, then leaps and snatches the prey by hand before returning to a perch to eat. Because it eats so many insects, researcher Randi Syafutra calls the mentilin a natural pesticide for farms, including pepper gardens.
Evidence: Penerbit BRIN — Syafutra (2024), Mentilin: Si Mungil dari Pulau Seribu Kulong, dalam Membingkai Satwa Primata Indonesia dalam Tiga Pilar (bab 13) ↗ · Mongabay Indonesia (2024) — Merawat Kebun Bersama Mentilin, Mungkinkah? ↗ · Animal Diversity Web — Tarsius bancanus, western tarsier ↗
How does the mentilin breed?
The female gives birth to a single young after an average gestation of 178 days, according to ADW. The newborn is large, up to 25 per cent of its mother's weight. Mating happens year-round, births are on average 258 days apart, and most young are weaned at about 80 days.
Newborns can climb but not yet leap. Mothers rarely carry them; instead the young is 'parked' on a branch while the mother hunts, until it can move independently at about four weeks. ADW describes the western tarsier as solitary and territorial, marking its range with urine and gland scent.
Evidence: Animal Diversity Web — Tarsius bancanus, western tarsier ↗
Why is the mentilin threatened?
The mentilin is threatened mainly because its forest is being turned into tin mines, oil palm plantations and settlements. According to the 2024 BRIN chapter, only 28 per cent of forest cover in the Bangka Belitung Islands is relatively undisturbed, and the province had Indonesia's highest deforestation rate in 2000–2012.
Poaching for the pet trade occurs in every forested part of Bangka. The chapter's author notes that nobody has managed to keep a mentilin alive for long, because the animals become extremely stressed. Some older people still kill them as bad omens or crop pests. The chapter states that the IUCN lists the subspecies C. b. bancanus as Endangered.
Evidence: Penerbit BRIN — Syafutra (2024), Mentilin: Si Mungil dari Pulau Seribu Kulong, dalam Membingkai Satwa Primata Indonesia dalam Tiga Pilar (bab 13) ↗ · Mongabay Indonesia (2020) — Mentilin, Fauna Identitas Bangka Belitung yang Terancam Punah ↗
How can the mentilin be protected?
The mentilin is legally protected: the annex to Regulation P.106/2018 lists it as entry 119 under the name Tarsius bancanus. Do not catch, keep, buy or sell one. If you see a mentilin in a garden, leave it alone; it does not eat crops.
Landowners can help by keeping old rubber gardens, bamboo and dense-crowned trees the mentilin sleeps in, such as seruk (Schima wallichii), mengkirai (Trema orientalis) and figs. Report hunting or trade to the local BKSDA (natural resources conservation office). Researchers also stress awareness work so that residents understand the mentilin's role and its legal status.
Evidence: JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan — Lampiran Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi ↗ · Penerbit BRIN — Syafutra (2024), Mentilin: Si Mungil dari Pulau Seribu Kulong, dalam Membingkai Satwa Primata Indonesia dalam Tiga Pilar (bab 13) ↗ · Mongabay Indonesia (2024) — Merawat Kebun Bersama Mentilin, Mungkinkah? ↗
Explore related habitats
These habitat relationships are supported by species sources in this guide. This is not a complete range map.
Scientific classification of the Horsfield's tarsier
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Tarsiidae |
| Genus | Cephalopachus |
| Species | Cephalopachus bancanus |
Source: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, adjusted to the ranks commonly used in school biology (for example class Reptilia).
Common questions about Horsfield's tarsier
What is the scientific name of Horsfield's tarsier?
The scientific name of Horsfield's tarsier is Cephalopachus bancanus, in the family Tarsiidae. In Indonesian it is called Mentilin.
What kind of animal is Horsfield's tarsier?
Horsfield's tarsier is a mammal in the family Tarsiidae. By diet it is a carnivore (meat-eater): a insects and small vertebrates (birds, small mammals, reptiles); wholly carnivorous.
Where does Horsfield's tarsier live in Indonesia?
In Indonesia, this guide records Horsfield's tarsier in: Bangka, Belitung, southern Sumatra, Borneo, Karimata and the Natuna Islands.
Source-supported habitats: Tropical Rainforests, Mangroves.
What does Horsfield's tarsier eat?
Diet of Horsfield's tarsier: insects and small vertebrates; wholly carnivorous. That makes it a carnivore (meat-eater). Source: Animal Diversity Web.
How does Horsfield's tarsier reproduce?
Horsfield's tarsier reproduces by giving birth to live young (viviparous). Source: Animal Diversity Web.
Is Horsfield's tarsier nocturnal?
Yes. Horsfield's tarsier is nocturnal (active at night). Source: Handbook of the Mammals of the World (via Zenodo).
See also the list of nocturnal and diurnal animals in Indonesia.
What are the main features of Horsfield's tarsier?
Key features of Horsfield's tarsier, from this guide’s sources: Key feature: huge eyes, very long hind legs, long tail.
What is the scientific classification of Horsfield's tarsier?
Scientific classification of Horsfield's tarsier: kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Primates, family Tarsiidae, genus Cephalopachus, species Cephalopachus bancanus.
Source: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, adjusted to the ranks commonly used in school biology.
Is Horsfield's tarsier endangered?
Yes. On the IUCN Red List, Horsfield's tarsier is listed as Vulnerable: it is considered to face a high risk of extinction in the wild. Source: IUCN Red List (via GBIF), checked 1 October 2026.
This global category is separate from national legal protection. Is Horsfield's tarsier protected in Indonesia?
Is Horsfield's tarsier protected in Indonesia?
Yes. Horsfield's tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus) is a protected species in Indonesia under Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 on protected plant and animal species (annex, entry 119); the annex lists it as Tarsius bancanus.
Article 21(2) of Law No. 5 of 1990, as amended by Law No. 32 of 2024, prohibits anyone from hunting, catching, injuring, killing, storing, owning, keeping, transporting or trading a protected animal, alive or dead, including its body parts, eggs and nests.
If you see this animal being traded, kept or injured, contact the local BKSDA office.
Can Horsfield's tarsier be kept as a pet?
No. Because Horsfield's tarsier is a protected species, catching, owning, keeping, transporting or trading it without a permit is prohibited by law. Trading without a permit through electronic media is also prohibited.
If you see this animal for sale or being kept, report it to the local BKSDA office.
Sources & references
- Penerbit BRIN — Syafutra (2024), Mentilin: Si Mungil dari Pulau Seribu Kulong, dalam Membingkai Satwa Primata Indonesia dalam Tiga Pilar (bab 13) ↗
- Animal Diversity Web — Tarsius bancanus, western tarsier ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia (2020) — Mentilin, Fauna Identitas Bangka Belitung yang Terancam Punah ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia (2024) — Merawat Kebun Bersama Mentilin, Mungkinkah? ↗
- Pemerintah Provinsi Sumatera Barat (Humas, 2017) — Fauna Sekaligus Maskot Prov. Sumbar (daftar fauna identitas provinsi; Bangka Belitung: mentilin, Tarsius bancanus) ↗
- JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan — Lampiran Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi ↗
- Handbook of the Mammals of the World (via Zenodo) ↗
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF) ↗
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, version 2026-1, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0) ↗
References can change. Check dates and context in the original source.
Cite this page
PanduanHewan. (2026, 1 October). Horsfield's tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus). PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/horsfields-tarsier/