Pen-tailed Treeshrew
Encyclopedia
The pen-tailed treeshrew (Ptilocercus lowii) is a species of treeshrew
in the Ptilocercidae family. It is found in Indonesia
, Malaysia, and Thailand
. It is the only species in the genus Ptilocercus and the family Ptilocercidae. All other treeshrews are in the family Tupaiidae
.
The pen-tailed treeshrew is the only known wild mammal that chronically (i.e., not just occasionally) consumes alcohol. A study of the treeshrew in Malaysia found that it spends several hours consuming the equivalent of 10 to 12 glasses of wine with an alcohol content of up to 3.8% every night drinking naturally fermented
nectar of the bertam palm
. Despite consuming relatively large amounts of alcohol, the pen-tailed treeshrew does not become intoxicated. Measurements of a biomarker of ethanol breakdown
suggest that they may be metabolizing it by a pathway that is not used as heavily by humans, a fellow member of the grandorder of mammals Euarchonta
.
Treeshrew
The treeshrews 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...
in the Ptilocercidae family. It is found in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is the only species in the genus Ptilocercus and the family Ptilocercidae. All other treeshrews are in the family Tupaiidae
Tupaiidae
Tupaiidae is one of two families of treeshrews, the other family being Ptilocercidae. It contains 4 genera and 19 species.-Taxonomy:*Order: Scandentia** Family Tupaiidae*** Genus Anathana**** Madras Treeshrew, Anathana ellioti...
.
The pen-tailed treeshrew is the only known wild mammal that chronically (i.e., not just occasionally) consumes alcohol. A study of the treeshrew in Malaysia found that it spends several hours consuming the equivalent of 10 to 12 glasses of wine with an alcohol content of up to 3.8% every night drinking naturally fermented
Ethanol fermentation
Ethanol fermentation, also referred to as alcoholic fermentation, is a biological process in which sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose are converted into cellular energy and thereby produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as metabolic waste products...
nectar of the bertam palm
Eugeissona
Eugeissona is a clustering genus of flowering plant in the palm family native to Borneo, Thailand and Malaysia. The six monoecious species provide a wide range of local uses and are commonly called bertam or wild Bornean sago...
. Despite consuming relatively large amounts of alcohol, the pen-tailed treeshrew does not become intoxicated. Measurements of a biomarker of ethanol breakdown
Alcohol dehydrogenase
Alcohol dehydrogenases are a group of dehydrogenase enzymes that occur in many organisms and facilitate the interconversion between alcohols and aldehydes or ketones with the reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide...
suggest that they may be metabolizing it by a pathway that is not used as heavily by humans, a fellow member of the grandorder of mammals Euarchonta
Euarchonta
The Euarchonta are a grandorder of mammals containing four orders: the Dermoptera or colugos, the Scandentia or treeshrews, the extinct Plesiadapiformes, and the Primates....
.