Mammals · Scandentia · Tupaiidae

Mountain Treeshrew

Tupaia montana

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The mountain treeshrew is a small Bornean mammal with the look of a squirrel and a pointed snout, although it is related neither to squirrels nor to shrews: it belongs to the Scandentia, an order of its own that is evolutionarily very close to the primates. It is diurnal, very active, and eats insects, fruit and nectar in the cloud forests of the island's mountains. Its relationship with the carnivorous plant Nepenthes lowii is one of the most curious mutualisms described in recent years.

Weight

150 g – 200 g

Size

16 cm – 20 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It climbs onto the rim of the pitcher of the carnivorous plant Nepenthes lowii to lick the nectar the plant secretes on the lid, and defecates inside while it feeds: the plant trades insects for nitrogen and the treeshrew gets a reliable source of food.
Treeshrews have the highest ratio of brain mass to body mass of any mammal, higher even than that of human beings.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Montane cloud forest of Borneo, above 900 metres of altitude
Gestation / incubation: 50 days
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_treeshrew