Pen-tailed treeshrew

Artist's impression of spring tail pointed croissant from 1848

The spring -tailed shrews ( Ptilocercus lowii ) is a mammal in the order of the tree shrews ( Scandentia ). Within this order, it occupies a special position and is in a separate family, Ptilocercidae, like.

Features

The most striking feature of this animal is the tail. This is dark colored and naked except for the tip which is provided with white hair. This spring-like structure owes the type its name. The rest of the body is gray -brown and has the usual elongated snout of the tree shrews on. However, the ears are taller and thinner than other types. The body length of the spring squirrel tail - tip is 10 to 14 centimeters, the tail is about 13 to 19 inches long.

Distribution and habitat

The home of this animal is the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, the northern and western part of Borneo, as well as smaller islands. Their habitat are forests until around 1000 meters above sea level.

Way of life

The only Spitzhörnchenart spring tail shrews are nocturnal. They are tree dwellers who can climb and jump awarded. The eye-catching tail serves to balance, potentially also the sense of touch. During the day they rest curled up in self-built, built of leaves and branches nests.

Nutrition

The food of these animals consists of insects, small vertebrates such as geckos and fruits.

According to a study published in 2008, this tree shrews often take the fermented nectar of the palm Eugeissona tristis to himself, which may have an alcohol content of up to 3.8 percent. They show no signs of drunkenness here, so they can break down the alcohol obviously efficient. According to the researchers, the alcohol could also have positive psychological effects.

Reproduction

Little is known about the reproduction of these animals. The gestation period is estimated at 45 to 55 days and the litter size to one to four. Whether the behavior of the sporadic breast-feeding, which is common in other shrews, also occurs in them, is not known.

Threat

Also be on the level of danger to give any details. The relatively large area of ​​distribution is probably a reason that they are less at risk compared to other types.

Swell

• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0801857899