tree shrew

any of several insectivorous, arboreal mammals of the family Tupaiidae, of southern Asia and adjacent islands, resembling a squirrel and having a long snout.

[1890-95]

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▪ mammal

 any of 17 Southeast Asian species of small mammals resembling squirrels and “true” shrews (shrew). Tree shrews, however, are neither rodents nor insectivores (insectivore) and differ from them to the extent that they constitute their own mammalian order. They have large eyes, conspicuous ears, and, like insectivores, a long muzzle. Tree shrews have slender bodies, long, slender limbs, and sharp, curved claws. Depending on the species, the tail is slightly shorter or much longer than the body. Tree shrews have acute senses of hearing and smell, along with good vision.

      The large tree shrew (Tupaia tana) of Sumatra, Borneo, and adjacent islands is one of the larger species, with a body 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 inches) long and a tail nearly as long. Among the smaller species is the pygmy tree shrew (T. minor) of Malaysia, with a body 11 to 14 cm long and a longer tail (13 to 16 cm). Their dense fur is soft or slightly harsh. The upperparts of most species are olive to reddish brown in colour and speckled with black; others range from grayish brown to ochre-black. The undersides vary from white through buff tones to orange-red. A stripe down the back, shoulder stripes, and facial markings characterize some species. Most species have a furry tail evenly covered with hair, but that of the pen-tailed tree shrew (Ptilocercus lowii) is hairless and ends in a featherlike tuft.

      Tree shrews inhabit rainforests and sometimes plantations from lowlands to above 3,000 metres (10,000 feet). The pen-tailed tree shrew is nocturnal; all others are diurnal. Some are mainly terrestrial, scurrying rapidly over the forest floor, pausing intermittently to search for food and rarely climbing trees. Others are primarily arboreal but occasionally go to the ground. The pen-tailed tree shrew is agile in tree crowns, even leaping from branch to branch, but on the ground it moves in a series of hops with the tail held upright. Tree shrews nest in tree cavities and on the ground, using hollow tree trunks, rock crevices, and ground cavities. Ground-foragers eat earthworms, insects and other arthropods, and fruit; those that forage in trees consume insects and fruit. The arboreal pen-tailed tree shrew also eats small geckos (gecko). Tree shrews grab food with their mouth and, unlike insectivores, are able to manipulate it with their hands as they eat. Litter size is known in only some species and ranges from one to three, with a gestation of 40 to 56 days.

      Tree shrews are the only members of the order Scandentia, and they are classified in five genera within a single family (Tupaiidae), with the pen-tailed tree shrew belonging to its own subfamily (Ptilocercinae). The other four genera make up the subfamily Tupaiinae, with most species belonging to the genus Tupaia. Tree shrews are most closely related to primates (primate) (order Primates), colugos (flying lemur) (order Dermoptera), and bats (bat) (order Chiroptera). Among the genera of living tree shrews, only Tupaia is represented by fossils, but the evolutionary history of family Tupaiidae extends to the Middle Eocene Epoch (49 to 41.3 million years ago) of Pakistan.

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