Northern treeshrew

Tupaia belangeri · The northern treeshrew is a treeshrew species native to Southeast Asia.

Also called Northern Tree Shrew.

Northern treeshrew
Photo: Blair Dudeck, CC BY 4.0
Northern treeshrew
Photo: Rejoice Gassah, CC BY 4.0
Northern treeshrew
Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderScandentia
FamilyTupaiidae
GenusTupaia
SpeciesTupaia belangeri

Where it lives

Forests of mainland Southeast Asia, southern China and northeastern India.

Fun facts

  • Its body temperature swings dramatically each day, from 35°C at night up to 40°C during the day—a bigger shift than in most warm-blooded animals.
  • Along with humans, it's the only known mammal that willingly eats spicy food, thanks to a mutation that dulls its sensitivity to capsaicin.
  • Adults are tiny, weighing only about 0.2 kg (0.44 lb).
  • It can live up to 11 years.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).