Pygmy Treeshrew
Encyclopedia
The Pygmy Treeshrew is a species of treeshrew
in the family Tupaiidae
. It is found in Indonesia
, Malaysia, and Thailand
. Tupaia minor is also known as the pygmy tree shrew and is from the order Scandentia. The generic name is derived from tupai
, a Malay
word for squirrels (Nowak, R., 1999).
, the Lingga Archipelago (Indonesia), Borneo
, offshore islands of Laut (Indonesia), and Banggi and Balambangan (Malaysia). From the catalogue of mammal skins in Sarawak Museum, Kuching, Sarawak, more than 30 individuals of Tupaia minor have been collected from 1891 to 1991. The specimens were mostly caught in Mt Penrisen, Mt Dulit
, Mt Poi, Gunung Gading, Bau, Ulu Baram, Saribas, Kuching and Forest Research.
The species has no fossil record (Jacobs, 1980).
or branches of small trees (Payne et al., 1985). They spend most of their time on the ground and in low bushes, nesting in tree roots and fallen timber. According to Lelevier et al., 2005, T. minor moves in a semiplantigrade
posture which allows it to keep its centre of gravity close to the tree. The claws on its hands and feet are quite sharp and moderately curved, which is useful for climbing.
Tupaia minor is omnivorous
; its diet includes insects and fruit. Scandentia has little economic significance because they do little damage to crops or plantations. However, it has been suggested that T. minor is a seed disperser for several Ficus
fig species (Shanahan and Compton, 2000).
Litters of one to three young are born after a gestation period of 45 to 55 days. Their maximum lifespan is around nine to ten years (Lelevier et al., 2005).
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 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...
. 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...
. Tupaia minor is also known as the pygmy tree shrew and is from the order Scandentia. The generic name is derived from tupai
Tupai
Tupai is a low-lying atoll in Society Islands, French Polynesia. It lies 19 km to the north of Bora Bora and belongs to the Leeward Islands . This small atoll is only 11 km² in area. Its broad coral reef encloses a shallow sandy lagoon. There are almost continuous long wooded motus on...
, a Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
word for squirrels (Nowak, R., 1999).
Distribution
T.minor is distributed in peninsular Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, SumatraSumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, the Lingga Archipelago (Indonesia), Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, offshore islands of Laut (Indonesia), and Banggi and Balambangan (Malaysia). From the catalogue of mammal skins in Sarawak Museum, Kuching, Sarawak, more than 30 individuals of Tupaia minor have been collected from 1891 to 1991. The specimens were mostly caught in Mt Penrisen, Mt Dulit
Mount Dulit
Mount Dulit is a mountain in Borneo. It peaks at 1311 m above sea level and stands at the head of the Baram River in northern Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a western outlier of the Bornean cordillera and is largely covered with tropical rainforest...
, Mt Poi, Gunung Gading, Bau, Ulu Baram, Saribas, Kuching and Forest Research.
The species has no fossil record (Jacobs, 1980).
Morphology and appearance
T. minor can be distinguished from other tree shrews by its appearance. It has upper body hair banded light and dark, giving a speckled olive-brown appearance. The upper parts are buffy and often have a reddish tinge towards the rear (Payne et al., 1985). The limbs are equal in length and have long claws. The maximum total length is about 450 mm, half of which is the tail (Feldhamer et al., 1999). The tail is long and thin, and its upper side is darker than the body (Payne et al., 1985).Behavior, diet and reproduction
T. minor is diurnal (active in the daytime). It is often seen 3 to 8 metres above the ground, sometimes up to 20 metres, travelling along lianasLiana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
or branches of small trees (Payne et al., 1985). They spend most of their time on the ground and in low bushes, nesting in tree roots and fallen timber. According to Lelevier et al., 2005, T. minor moves in a semiplantigrade
Plantigrade
right|151px|thumb|Human skeleton, showing plantigrade habitIn terrestrial animals, plantigrade locomotion means walking with the podials and metatarsals flat on the ground. It is one of three forms of locomotion adopted by mammals...
posture which allows it to keep its centre of gravity close to the tree. The claws on its hands and feet are quite sharp and moderately curved, which is useful for climbing.
Tupaia minor is omnivorous
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
; its diet includes insects and fruit. Scandentia has little economic significance because they do little damage to crops or plantations. However, it has been suggested that T. minor is a seed disperser for several Ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
fig species (Shanahan and Compton, 2000).
Litters of one to three young are born after a gestation period of 45 to 55 days. Their maximum lifespan is around nine to ten years (Lelevier et al., 2005).