Lesser Treeshrew
Tupaia minor
Summary 2
The pygmy treeshrew (Tupaia minor) is a species of treeshrew in the family Tupaiidae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Habitat 3
Tupaia minor is found in tropical forests below elevations of 1,000 m. Although it is primarily an arboreal species¸ it has been observed and trapped in both canopy and terrestrial habitats.
Range elevation: 1,000 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest
Physical description 4
Pygmy tree shrews are superficially squirrel-like in appearance, but they can be distinguished from squirrels by their long, pointed snouts and lack of long, black vibrissae. The genus Tupaia can be distinguished from other genera of tree shrews by several external characters. The tail is evenly covered by long hair, the upper section of the ear is larger than the lower lobe, and the hairless section on top of the nose is cut squarely across.
Tupaia minor is characterized by golden brown pelage on the back and limbs, and the underparts vary in color from white to a light cream color. Claws on hands and feet are sharp and moderately curved, allowing for climbing. Pygmy tree shrews move in a semiplantigrade posture. This posture allows a tree shrew to keep its center of gravity close to the tree upon which it is climbing. While grasping on to branches, the pollex and hallux of T. minor become divergent from the other digits. This is an adaptation to arboreal life.
Tupaia minor has an average mass of 60 g and an average head and body length of 124 mm.
Range mass: 50 to 70 g.
Average length: 124 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Sources and Credits
- (c) Paul Morris, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/32161280@N06/3161229275
- Adapted by Brian Martin from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupaia_minor
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18677855
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18677856
