tree shrew
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What is a tree shrew?
A tree shrew is any of 17 species of small Southeast Asian mammals in the order Scandentia. Though they resemble squirrels and "true" shrews, they are neither rodents nor insectivores. Tree shrews have slender bodies, long limbs, sharp claws, large eyes, conspicuous ears, and a long muzzle. Depending on the species, their tails can be slightly shorter or much longer than their bodies.
They inhabit rainforests and sometimes plantations from lowlands to above 3,000 metres (10,000 feet). Most species are diurnal, while the pen-tailed tree shrew is nocturnal. Some species are mainly terrestrial, while others are primarily arboreal. They nest in tree cavities and on the ground, using hollow tree trunks, rock crevices, and ground cavities.
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Where do tree shrews live?
Tree shrews are small mammals found in Southeast Asia. They are called tree shrews, but they are neither "true" shrews nor rodents. They live in rainforests and sometimes plantations from lowlands to elevations above 3,000 metres (10,000 feet).
Some species are mainly terrestrial, searching the forest floor for food, while others are arboreal, but occasionally go to the ground. They nest in tree cavities and on the ground, using hollow tree trunks, rock crevices, and ground cavities.
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What do tree shrews look like?
Tree shrews are small mammals native to Southeast Asia that bear a resemblance to both squirrels and "true" shrews. They have slender bodies, long and slender limbs, and sharp, curved claws.
Depending on the species, their tails can be slightly shorter or much longer than their bodies. The large tree shrew is about 19 to 22 cm long, with a tail nearly as long, while the pygmy tree shrew is around 11 to 14 cm long, with a longer tail.
Their fur is dense and can be soft or slightly harsh. The color of their upperparts ranges from olive to reddish-brown speckled with black, while others are grayish-brown to ochre-black. Their undersides vary from white to buff tones to orange-red. Some species have a stripe down their back, shoulder stripes, and facial markings. Most have furry tails evenly covered with hair, but the pen-tailed tree shrew has a hairless tail that ends in a feather-like tuft.
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What do tree shrews eat?
Tree shrews, small mammals of the order Scandentia, are native to Southeast Asia and resemble both squirrels and "true" shrews. However, they are neither rodents nor insectivores. Ground-foraging tree shrews eat earthworms, insects and other arthropods, and fruit, while those that forage in trees consume insects and fruit. The arboreal pen-tailed tree shrew also eats small geckos. Tree shrews grab food with their mouths and, unlike insectivores, can manipulate it with their hands as they eat.
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How are tree shrews different from true shrews?
Tree shrews are small mammals native to Southeast Asia that resemble squirrels but are neither rodents nor insectivores, setting them apart in their own order, Scandentia. True shrews belong to the family Soricidae, within the order Soricimorpha, which is part of the broader group of insectivores.
Key distinctions:
* Tree shrews have large eyes and conspicuous ears, while true shrews have small eyes usually visible in their fur.
* Tree shrews manipulate food with their hands, unlike true shrews.
* True shrews possess a mobile snout with sensitive whiskers and a foul odor from their scent glands, features not found in tree shrews.
* Tree shrews are related to primates, colugos, and bats, whereas true shrews are classified within the insectivores.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
tree shrew, (order Scandentia), any of 17 Southeast Asian species of small mammals resembling squirrels and “true” shrews. Tree shrews, however, are neither rodents nor insectivores 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. 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.
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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 (order Primates), colugos (order Dermoptera), and bats (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.