Tree Shrews

Once grouped with the insectivores, the 19 species of tree shrews now occupy an order of their own: Scandentia. Separated into five genera, these energetic, diurnal and largely arboreal mammals may be a link between insectivores and primates. Small, with reddish-brown coats, all tree shrews have 38 sharp teeth and long, pointed muzzles. The feather-tailed species (Ptilocercus lowii) uses its long, scale-covered tail as an organ for support and touch, enabling it to grab insects with a single hand. The female common tree shrew of Southeast Asia keeps her young in a separate nest and suckles them every second day.

Tree Shrews: A Family of One

order: scandentia

family: tupaiidae tree shrews

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