Tree Shrew Facts For Kids (Tiny Forest Speedsters)

What tiny animal looks like a squirrel, is related to primates, and has the biggest brain for its body size of any mammal? The tree shrew! Despite their name, tree shrews are not really shrews at all. They're actually in their own special group and are among the closest living relatives of primates like monkeys and humans. Tree shrews are small, energetic mammals that zip through the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They're always on the move, searching for insects and fruit with their sharp eyes and pointed snouts. Let's learn about these incredible little animals!

What Do Tree Shrews Look Like?

Tree shrews look a lot like small squirrels! They have soft, brown or reddish-brown fur with lighter bellies. Their bodies are slender and compact with long, bushy tails. Most tree shrews are about the size of a chipmunk. They have large eyes compared to their head size, which gives them excellent vision. Their pointed snouts and small ears give them a cute, alert appearance!

Tree shrews have sharp claws on all their toes that help them climb! Their fingers and toes are well-suited for gripping branches and tree bark. Unlike true shrews, tree shrews have good eyesight and rely on vision more than smell. Their front teeth are sharp and designed for biting into insects and fruit. Tree shrews have a long tongue they use to lick nectar from flowers!

There are about 20 species of tree shrews, and they come in different sizes! The pen-tailed tree shrew has a tail that looks like a feathered pen, with bare skin and a tuft at the tip. The common tree shrew is one of the most widespread species. The Philippine tree shrew is one of the largest. Despite their squirrel-like appearance, tree shrews are more closely related to primates than to any rodent!

Where Do Tree Shrews Live?

Tree shrews live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia! They're found in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and India. Most species live in lowland tropical rainforests. Some species live in mountain forests up to 10,000 feet elevation. Tree shrews are found nowhere else in the world—they're truly Asian mammals!

Despite their name, many tree shrews spend most of their time on the ground! While some species are excellent climbers, others prefer scurrying through leaf litter on the forest floor. The terrestrial tree shrew barely climbs at all. Other species split their time between the ground and low bushes. The pen-tailed tree shrew is the most tree-dwelling species, spending most of its time in the canopy!

Tree shrews are territorial animals! Each tree shrew marks its territory with scent from special glands on its belly and chest. Males and females have separate but overlapping territories. Tree shrews defend their space with loud squealing calls and chases. They patrol their territory daily, visiting the same feeding spots and scent-marking locations. A tree shrew's territory may cover about half an acre of forest!

What Do Tree Shrews Eat?

Tree shrews eat a mixed diet of insects, fruit, and other foods! They hunt for beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars in leaf litter and on tree bark. They also eat ripe fruit, seeds, and young leaves. Some tree shrews eat small lizards and other tiny animals. Their varied diet helps them find food throughout the year!

Tree shrews are always eating because they have incredibly fast metabolisms! Their bodies burn energy so quickly that they must eat frequently throughout the day. A tree shrew eats about half its body weight in food every single day. They start foraging at dawn and keep eating until dusk. If a tree shrew goes too long without food, it can actually starve very quickly!

The pen-tailed tree shrew has an unusual food source—fermented nectar! It regularly drinks naturally fermented palm nectar that contains alcohol. This tree shrew drinks the equivalent of several glasses of wine each night without getting drunk! Scientists believe its liver is specially designed to break down alcohol quickly. The pen-tailed tree shrew is the only mammal known to regularly consume alcohol in the wild!

Cool Facts About Tree Shrews

• Biggest brains: Tree shrews have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any mammal—even larger than humans! Their brain makes up about 10 percent of their body weight. For comparison, the human brain is only about 2 percent of body weight. Scientists think this large brain helps tree shrews navigate their complex forest environment. Their big brains may be one reason scientists study them so closely!
• Primate cousins: Tree shrews are among the closest living relatives of primates! They share many features with early primate ancestors, including forward-facing eyes, a large brain, and similar bone structures. Scientists once classified tree shrews as primates or insectivores. Now they have their own order, Scandentia. Studying tree shrews helps scientists understand how primates may have started!
• Speed machines: Tree shrews are incredibly fast and energetic! They have one of the highest metabolic rates of any mammal. Their hearts beat up to 900 times per minute—that's 15 beats per second! They never sit still for long, constantly darting from spot to spot looking for food. A tree shrew's daily energy use is remarkable for an animal its size!
• Alcohol champions: The pen-tailed tree shrew drinks fermented nectar every night without getting drunk! It consumes nectar with up to 3.8 percent alcohol from the bertam palm. That's similar to beer! Despite drinking this regularly, the tree shrew shows no signs of being affected. Its body breaks down alcohol incredibly efficiently. It's the only wild mammal known to drink alcohol regularly!
• Worst parents ever: Some tree shrews are surprisingly hands-off parents! The large tree shrew visits its babies only once every 48 hours. The mother leaves the babies in a separate nest and comes by for a quick 10-minute nursing session. She spends less total time with her babies than almost any other mammal. The babies survive on super-rich milk that sustains them between visits!
• Sharp vision: Tree shrews have excellent eyesight! They can see in color, which is unusual for small mammals. Most small mammals see only in shades of gray. Tree shrews' color vision helps them find ripe fruit in the forest. Their large eyes are positioned slightly forward, giving them some depth perception. Good vision is one trait they share with their primate relatives!
• Ancient design: Tree shrews represent one of the oldest mammal body plans still around today! Their ancestors were among the earliest placental mammals. Their basic body shape—small, agile, clawed, and insect-eating—may be similar to the ancestors of all primates. Tree shrews give us a living glimpse of what very early mammals may have looked like!
• Scent communicators: Tree shrews communicate through an amazing variety of scent marks! They have special scent glands on their throat, chest, and belly. They rub these glands on branches to mark their territory. Males mark more than females. They can tell whether a scent mark belongs to a neighbor, a stranger, or a mate. Their scent language is complex and important for their social lives!

Baby Tree Shrew Facts

Female tree shrews build special nursery nests for their babies! The nursery nest is separate from the mother's sleeping nest. It's lined with dry leaves and built in a safe, hidden spot. The mother constructs the nursery before giving birth. She may build it in a tree hollow, dense bush, or on the ground among roots!

Tree shrews give birth to 1 to 3 tiny, hairless babies! Newborns are blind, deaf, and completely helpless. They weigh less than half an ounce at birth. The babies huddle together in the nursery nest for warmth. They depend entirely on their mother's milk for survival in the first weeks!

Mother tree shrews produce incredibly rich milk! Their milk is among the most concentrated of any mammal. It's packed with fat and nutrients that sustain the babies between the mother's rare visits. In species where the mother visits only every 48 hours, the babies fill their tiny stomachs during a single short nursing session. This rich milk lets the babies grow even without constant attention!

Baby tree shrews grow up fast! Their eyes open at about 2 to 3 weeks old. They start exploring outside the nest at about 4 weeks. Young tree shrews begin eating solid food while still nursing. They're fully independent at about 5 to 6 weeks old. Young tree shrews must find their own territory quickly, as parents don't tolerate them staying too long!

Why Are Tree Shrews Special?

Tree shrews hold an important place in the mammal family tree! They're one of the closest living relatives of primates, giving scientists clues about what early primate ancestors may have been like. Their big brains, good eyesight, and agile bodies hint at traits that would become even more developed in monkeys, apes, and humans!

Tree shrews are valuable for scientific research! Scientists study tree shrews to understand diseases, brain function, and mammal biology. Their biology is surprisingly similar to humans in many ways. Tree shrews can catch some of the same viruses that affect people. Their close relationship to primates makes them important for medical research!

Most tree shrew species are doing well, but habitat loss is a concern! As tropical forests in Southeast Asia are cut down for farming and development, tree shrews lose their homes. Species that live only on certain islands are more at risk. Protecting Southeast Asian rainforests is the best way to keep tree shrew populations healthy!

Tree shrews remind us that some of the most fascinating animals are ones most people have never heard of! These tiny, energetic mammals with the biggest brains for their size connect us to our own ancient mammal ancestry. Every time a tree shrew darts through the forest with its keen eyes and quick feet, it carries on a body plan that has been successful for a very long time!

Learn About More Animals!

If you enjoyed learning about tree shrews, check out these other amazing small intelligent mammals:

• Monkeys - Intelligent tree-dwellers with grasping hands and long tails!
• Elephant Shrews - Lightning-fast hoppers with elephant-like trunks!
• Squirrels - Bushy-tailed acrobats that leap between trees with incredible memory!
• Rodents - Adaptable seed gatherers from mice to beavers!
• More Omnivorous Mammals - Explore all our versatile eaters!