tree shrew

Tree Shrews

(Tupaiidae)

Class: Mammalia

Order: Scandentia

Family: Tupaiidae

Number of families: 1

Thumbnail description
Small, squirrel-like mammals with relatively dense fur and a prominent tail (bushy in Tupaiinae; naked and scaly with a terminal tuft of hairs in Ptilocercinae); ears large and membranous; colors range from gray to dark brown dorsally and white to yellowish brown ventrally; species in the subfamily Tupaiinae are diurnal, whereas the pen-tailed tree shrew (Ptilocercinae) is nocturnal

Size
Relatively small body size, ranging from the pentailed tree shrew (head/body length 5 in [13 cm]; tail length 4.5 in [11 cm]; body mass 1.5 oz [43 g]) to the Philippine tree shrew (head/body length 9.5 in [24 cm]; tail length 7 in [18 cm]; body mass 12 oz [340 g])

Number of genera, species
5 genera; 19 species

Habitat
Primarily inhabitants of evergreen tropical rainforests

Conservation status
Endangered: 2 species; Vulnerable: 4 species; Lower Risk/Near Threatened: 1 species

Distribution
Southern and Southeast Asia

Resources

Butler, Percy M. "The Problem of Insectivore Classification." In Studies in Vertebrate Evolution, edited by Kenneth A. Joysey and Timothy S. Kemp, 253–265. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1972.

Emmons, Louise H. Tupai: A Field Study of Bornean Treeshrews. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.

Le Gros Clark, Wilfred E. The Antecedents of Man. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1971.

Luckett, W. Patrick. Comparative Biology and Evolutionary Relationships of Tree Shrews. New York: Plenum Press, 1980.

Martin, Robert D. Primate Origins and Evolution: A Phylogenetic Reconstruction. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990.

Wilson, Don E. "Order Scandentia." In Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, edited by Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993, 131–133.

Campbell, C., and G. Boyd. "On the Phyletic Relationships of the Tree Shrews." Mammal Review 4 (1974): 125–143.

D'Souza, Frances, and Robert D. Martin. "Maternal Behaviour and the Effects of Stress in Tree Shrews." Nature (London) 251 (1974): 309–311.

Emmons, Louise H. "Frugivory in Tree Shrews (Tupaia)." American Naturalist 138 (1991): 642–649.

Emmons, Louise H., and Alim Biun. "Malaysian Treeshrews: Maternal Behavior of a Wild Tree Shrew, Tupaia tana, in Sabah." National Geographic Research 7 (1991): 70–81.

Hill, John P. "On the Placentation of Tupaia." Journal of Zoology (London) 146 (1965): 278–304.

Kawamichi, Takeo, and Mieko Kawamichi. "Social System and Independence of Offspring of Tree Shrews." Primates 23 (1982): 189–205.

Lim, Boo L. "Note on the Food Habits of Ptilocercus lowii Gray (Pentail Tree-shrew) and Echinosorex gymnurus Raffles (Moonrat) in Malaya with Remarks on "Ecological Labelling" by Parasite Patterns." Journal of Zoology (London) 152 (1967): 375–379.

Martin, Robert D. "Reproduction and Ontogeny in Tree-shrews (Tupaia belangeri) with Reference to Their General Behaviour and Taxonomic Relationships." Zeitschrift fur Tierzuchtung und Zuchtungsbiologie 25 (1968): 409–532. ——. "Treeshrews: Unique Reproductive Mechanism of Systematic Importance." Science 152 (1966): 1402–1404.

Sargis, Eric J. "Functional Morphology of the Forelimb of Tupaiids (Mammalia, Scandentia) and Its Phylogenetic Implications." Journal of Morphology 253 (2002): 10–42. ——. "Functional Morphology of the Hindlimb of Tupaiids (Mammalia, Scandentia) and Its Phylogenetic Implications." Journal of Morphology 254 (2002): 149–185. ——. "The Postcranial Morphology of Ptilocercus lowii (Scandentia, Tupaiidae): An Analysis of Primatomorphan and Volitantian Characters." Journal of Mammalian Evolution 9 (2002): 137–160.

Schmitz, Jürgen, Martina Ohme, and Hans Zischler. "The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Tupaia belangeri and the Phylogenetic affiliation of Scandentia to Other Eutherian Orders." Molecular Biology and Evolution 17 (2000): 1334–1343.

Simpson, George G. "The Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 85 (1945): 1–350.

[Article by: Robert D. Martin, PhD]

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: insectivorous arboreal mammal of southeast Asia that resembles a squirrel with large eyes and long sharp snout

Treeshrews[1]
Madras Treeshrew (Anathana ellioti)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Euarchontoglires Order: Scandentia Wagner, 1855
Families
Tupaiidae Ptilocercidae

The treeshrews (or tree shrews) are small mammals native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They make up the families Tupaiidae, the treeshrews, and Ptilocercidae, the pen-tailed treeshrews, and the entire order Scandentia. There are 20 species in 5 genera. Treeshrews have a higher brain to body mass ratio than humans, though this is not uncommon for animals weighing less than a kilogram.^{[citation needed]}

Although called treeshrews, they are not true shrews (although they were previously classified in the Insectivora), and not all species are necessarily arboreal. Among other things, they eat Rafflesia fruit. They have no clear fossil record.

Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Classification 3 References 4 External links

Characteristics

Treeshrews are slender animals with long tails and soft, greyish to reddish-brown fur. The terrestrial species tend to be larger than the arboreal forms, and to have larger claws, which they use for digging up insect prey. They are omnivorous, feeding on insects, small vertebrates, fruit, and seeds. They have poorly developed canine teeth and unspecialised molars, with an overall dental formula of: ^[2]

Treeshrews have good vision, which is binocular in the case of the more arboreal species. Most are diurnal, although the Pen-tailed Treeshrew is nocturnal.

Female treeshrews give birth to up to three young after a gestation period of 45–50 days, in nests lined with dry leaves inside tree hollows. The young are born blind and hairless, but are able to leave the nest after about a month. During this period, the mother provides relatively little maternal care, visiting her young only for a few minutes every other day to suckle them. Treeshrews reach sexual maturity after around four months, and breed for much of the year, with no clear breeding season in most species.^[2]

These animals live in small family groups, which defend their territory from intruders. They mark their territories using various scent glands, or urine, depending on the particular species.

The name Tupaia is derived from tupai the Malay word for squirrel^[3] and was provided by Sir Stamford Raffles.^[4]

In 2008, researchers found that the Pen-tailed Treeshrew in Malaysia was able to consume large amounts of naturally fermented nectar of up to 3.8% alcohol content the entire year without having any effects on behaviour. Investigation to how these animals cope with that diet is still ongoing. (see msnbc news article)

Classification

Dentition of Tupaia

Treeshrews were moved from Insectivora to the Primates order, because of certain internal similarities to the latter (for example, similarities in the brain anatomy, highlighted by Sir Wilfred Le Gros Clark), and classified as a primitive prosimian. However, recent molecular phylogenetic studies have strongly suggested that treeshrews should be given the same rank (order) as the primates and, with the primates and the flying lemurs, belong to the clade Euarchonta. According to this classification, the Euarchonta are sister to the Glires (lagomorphs and rodents), and the two groups are combined into the clade Euarchontoglires.^[5] Other arrangements of these orders have been proposed.^[6]

Euarchontoglires	Glires Rodentia (rodents) Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, pikas) Euarchonta Scandentia (treeshrews) Dermoptera (Colugos) †Plesiadapiformes Primates

• ORDER SCANDENTIA
  • Family Tupaiidae
    • Genus Anathana
      • Madras Treeshrew, Anathana ellioti
    • Genus Dendrogale
      • Bornean Smooth-tailed Treeshrew, Dendrogale melanura
      • Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew, Dendrogale murina
    • Genus Tupaia
      • Northern Treeshrew, Tupaia belangeri
      • Golden-bellied Treeshrew, Tupaia chrysogaster
      • Striped Treeshrew, Tupaia dorsalis
      • Common Treeshrew, Tupaia glis
      • Slender Treeshrew, Tupaia gracilis
      • Horsfield's Treeshrew, Tupaia javanica
      • Long-footed Treeshrew, Tupaia longipes
      • Pygmy Treeshrew, Tupaia minor
      • Calamian Treeshrew, Tupaia moellendorffi
      • Mountain Treeshrew, Tupaia montana
      • Nicobar Treeshrew, Tupaia nicobarica
      • Palawan Treeshrew, Tupaia palawanensis
      • Painted Treeshrew, Tupaia picta
      • Ruddy Treeshrew, Tupaia splendidula
      • Large Treeshrew, Tupaia tana
    • Genus Urogale
      • Mindanao Treeshrew, Urogale evereti
  • Family Ptilocercidae
    • Genus Ptilocercus
      • Pen-tailed Treeshrew, Ptilocercus lowii

References

1. ^ Helgen, Kristofer M. (2005-11-16). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 104-109. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Martin, Robert D. (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 440–445. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
3. ^ Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University. pp. 245. ISBN 0801857899. 
4. ^ Craig, John (1849). A new universal etymological technological, and pronouncing dictionary of the English Language. 
5. ^ Janecka, Jan E.; Miller, Webb; Pringle, Thomas H.; Wiens, Frank; Zitzmann, Annette; Helgen, Kristofer M.; Springer, Mark S.; Murphy, William J. (2007-11-02), "Molecular and Genomic Data Identify The Closest Living Relatives of Primates", Science 318: 792–4, doi:10.1126/science.1147555, http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/318/5851/792.pdf 
6. ^ Pettigrew JD, Jamieson BG, Robson SK, Hall LS, McAnally KI, Cooper HM, 1989, Phylogenetic relations between microbats, megabats and primates (Mammalia: Chiroptera and Primates). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences 325(1229):489-559

External links

• http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/animals/shrew.htm
• http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/SmallMammals/fact-lessertreeshrew.cfm
• http://www.hoglezoo.org/animals/view.php?id=183

v • d • e Extant mammal orders by infraclass Kingdom Animalia · Phylum Chordata · Subphylum Vertebrata · (unranked) Amniota Australosphenida Monotremata (Platypus and echidnas) Metatheria (Marsupial inclusive) Didelphimorphia (Opossums) · Paucituberculata (Shrew opossums) · Microbiotheria (Monito del Monte) · Notoryctemorphia (Marsupial moles) · Dasyuromorphia (Quolls and dunnarts) · Peramelemorphia (Bilbies and bandicoots) · Diprotodontia (Kangaroos and relatives) Eutheria Afrosoricida (Tenrecs and golden moles) · Macroscelidea (Elephant shrews) · Tubulidentata (Aardvark) · Hyracoidea (Hyraxes) · Proboscidea (Elephants) · Sirenia (Dugongs and manatees) · Cingulata (Armadillos) · Pilosa (Anteaters and sloths) · Scandentia (Treeshrews) · Dermoptera (Colugos) · Primates · Rodentia (Rodents) · Lagomorpha (Rabbits and relatives) · Erinaceomorpha (Hedgehogs and relatives) · Soricomorpha (Shrews and moles) · Chiroptera (Bats) · Pholidota (Pangolins) · Carnivora · Perissodactyla (Odd-toed ungulates) · Artiodactyla (Even-toed ungulates) · Cetacea (Whales and dolphins)

v • d • e Extant Scandentia (Treeshrews) species by family Kingdom Animalia · Phylum Chordata · Class Mammalia · Infraclass Eutheria · Superorder Euarchontoglires Tupaiidae Anathana Madras Treeshrew (A. ellioti) Dendrogale Bornean Smooth-tailed Treeshrew (D. melanura) · Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew (D. murina) Tupaia Northern Treeshrew (T. belangeri) · Golden-bellied Treeshrew (T. chrysogaster) · Striped Treeshrew (T. dorsalis) · Common Treeshrew (T. glis) · Slender Treeshrew (T. gracilis) · Horsfield's Treeshrew (T. javanica) · Long-footed Treeshrew (T. longipes) · Pygmy Treeshrew (T. minor) · Calamian Treeshrew (T. moellendorffi) · Mountain Treeshrew (T. montana) · Nicobar Treeshrew (T. nicobarica) · Palawan Treeshrew (T. palawanensis) · Painted Treeshrew (T. picta) · Ruddy Treeshrew (T. splendidula) · Large Treeshrew (T. tana) Urogale Mindanao Treeshrew (U. evereti) Ptilocercidae Ptilocercus Pen-tailed Treeshrew (P. lowii) Category

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