Scandentia is an order of small mammals. Members of this order are called scandentians, or treeshrews. They are primarily found in Southeast Asia, with the Madras treeshrew instead in mainland India. They range in size from the Bornean smooth-tailed treeshrew, at 11 cm (4 in) plus a 9 cm (4 in) tail, to the striped treeshrew, at 23 cm (9 in) plus a 13 cm (5 in) tail. They generally live in forests, and primarily eat insects and fruit. No population estimates have been made for any scandentian species, though the Nicobar treeshrew is categorized as endangered.

Brown treeshrew on a branch
Horsfield's treeshrew (Tupaia javanica)

The twenty-three extant species of Scandentia are grouped into two families: Tupaiidae, which contains twenty-two species within three genera, and Ptilocercidae, which contains a single species, the pen-tailed treeshrew. Only a few extinct scandentian species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.[1]

Conventions edit

IUCN Red List categories
Conservation status
 EX Extinct (0 species)
 EW Extinct in the wild (0 species)
 CR Critically Endangered (0 species)
 EN Endangered (1 species)
 VU Vulnerable (1 species)
 NT Near threatened (0 species)
 LC Least concern (15 species)
Other categories
 DD Data deficient (6 species)
 NE Not evaluated (0 species)

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the scandentian's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†".

Classification edit

The order Scandentia consists of two families: Tupaiidae, which contains twenty-two species within three genera, and Ptilocercidae, which contains a single species. Many of these species are further subdivided into subspecies. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species.

Family Ptilocercidae

Family Tupaiidae

  • Genus Anathana (Madras treeshrew): one species
  • Genus Dendrogale (smooth-tailed treeshrews): two species
  • Genus Tupaia (treeshrews): nineteen species
Scandentia  

Scandentians edit

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis.[2]

Family Ptilocercidae edit

Genus PtilocercusGray, 1848 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Pen-tailed treeshrew

 

P. lowii
Gray, 1848

Two subspecies
  • P. l. continentis
  • P. l. lowii
Southeast Asia
 
Size: 13–14 cm (5–6 in) long, plus 16–19 cm (6–7 in) tail[3]

Habitat: Forest[4]

Diet: Insects and fruit[3]
 LC 


Unknown  [4]

Family Tupaiidae edit

Genus AnathanaLyon, 1913 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Madras treeshrew

 

A. ellioti
(Waterhouse, 1850)
India
 
Size: 16–19 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 16–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[5]

Habitat: Forest and shrubland[6]

Diet: Insects, other invertebrates, and fruit[5]
 LC 


Unknown  [6]

Genus DendrogaleGray, 1848 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Bornean smooth-tailed treeshrew


D. melanura
(Thomas, 1892)

Two subspecies
  • D. m. baluensis
  • D. m. melanura
Northern Borneo
 
Size: 11–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 9–14 cm (4–6 in) tail[7]

Habitat: Forest[8]

Diet: Fruit and insects[9]
 DD 


Unknown  [8]

Northern smooth-tailed treeshrew

 

D. murina
(Schlegel, Müller, 1843)
Mainland Southeast Asia
 
Size: About 12 cm (5 in) long, plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail[10]

Habitat: Forest[11]

Diet: Fruit, arthropods, and small vertebrates[10]
 LC 


Unknown  [11]

Genus TupaiaRaffles, 1821 – nineteen species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Bangka Island treeshrew


T. discolor
Lyon, 1906
Bangka Island, Indonesia Size: 13–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 12–20 cm (5–8 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Unknown[13]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 DD 


Unknown  [13]

Common treeshrew

 

T. glis
(Diard, 1820)
Southeast Asia
 
Size: 13–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 12–20 cm (5–8 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Forest[15]

Diet: Insects, other arthropods, and fruit[12]
 LC 


Unknown  [15]

Golden-bellied treeshrew


T. chrysogaster
Miller, 1903
Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
 
Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[17]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 VU 


Unknown  [17]

Horsfield's treeshrew

 

T. javanica
Horsfield, 1822
Western Indonesia
 
Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[18]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 LC 


Unknown  [18]

Javan treeshrew


T. hypochrysa
Thomas, 1895
Java, Indonesia Size: 13–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 12–20 cm (5–8 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Unknown[19]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 DD 


Unknown  [19]

Kalimantan treeshrew


T. salatana
Lyon, 1913
Southern Borneo, Indonesia Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[20]

Diet: Termites and ants[20]
 DD 


Unknown  [20]

Large treeshrew

 

T. tana
Raffles, 1821

Fifteen subspecies
  • T. t. banguei
  • T. t. besara
  • T. t. bunoae
  • T. t. cervicalis
  • T. t. chrysura
  • T. t. kelabit
  • T. t. kretami
  • T. t. lingae
  • T. t. masae
  • T. t. nitida
  • T. t. paitana
  • T. t. sirhassenensis
  • T. t. speciosa
  • T. t. tana
  • T. t. utara
Southeast Asia
 
Size: About 22 cm (9 in) long, plus 17 cm (7 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[21]

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates, as well as fruit[22]
 LC 


Unknown  [21]

Long-footed treeshrew

 

T. longipes
Thomas, 1893
Borneo
 
Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[23]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 LC 


Unknown  [23]

Mindanao treeshrew


T. everetti
Thomas, 1892
Mindanao, Philippines
 
Size: 17–22 cm (7–9 in) long, plus 11–18 cm (4–7 in) tail[24]

Habitat: Forest[25]

Diet: Small animals, insects, fruit, vegetables, and eggs[24]
 LC 


Unknown  [25]

Mountain treeshrew


T. montana
Thomas, 1892

Two subspecies
  • T. m. baluensis
  • T. m. montana
Northern Borneo
 
Size: About 20 cm (8 in) long, plus 18 cm (7 in) tail[26]

Habitat: Forest[27]

Diet: Omnivorous[28]
 LC 


Unknown  [27]

Nicobar treeshrew

 

T. nicobarica
(Zelebor, 1869)

Two subspecies
  • T. n. nicobarica
  • T. n. surda
Nicobar Islands, India
 
Size: About 14 cm (6 in) long, plus 18 cm (7 in) tail[29]

Habitat: Forest[30]

Diet: Insects as well as fruit[14]
 EN 


Unknown  [30]

Northern treeshrew

 

T. belangeri
(Wagner, 1841)

Two subspecies
  • T. b. belangeri
  • T. b. chinensis
Southeast Asia
 
Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[31]

Habitat: Forest and shrubland[32]

Diet: Insects as well as fruit[31]
 LC 


Unknown  [32]

Painted treeshrew

 

T. picta
Thomas, 1892

Two subspecies
  • T. p. fuscior
  • T. p. picta
Borneo
 
Size: About 21 cm (8 in) long, plus 15 cm (6 in) tail[33]

Habitat: Forest[34]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 LC 


Unknown  [34]

Palawan treeshrew


T. palawanensis
Thomas, 1894
Palawan, Philippines
 
Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[35]

Diet: Insects and fruit[28]
 LC 


Unknown  [35]

Pygmy treeshrew

 

T. minor
Günther, 1876

Four subspecies
  • T. m. humeralis
  • T. m. malaccana
  • T. m. minor
  • T. m. sincipis
Southeast Asia
 
Size: 11–14 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 13–17 cm (5–7 in) tail[36]

Habitat: Forest[37]

Diet: Small animals, fruit leaves, seeds, and carrion[36]
 LC 


Unknown  [37]

Ruddy treeshrew

 

T. splendidula
Gray, 1865

Five subspecies
  • T. s. carimatae
  • T. s. lucida
  • T. s. natunae
  • T. s. riabus
  • T. s. splendidula
Southern Borneo
 
Size: About 18 cm (7 in) long, plus 14 cm (6 in) tail[33]

Habitat: Forest[38]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 LC 


Unknown  [38]

Slender treeshrew


T. gracilis
Thomas, 1893

Three subspecies
  • T. g. edarata
  • T. g. gracilis
  • T. g. inflata
Borneo and nearby islands
 
Size: 12–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 14–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest[39]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 LC 


Unknown  [39]

Striped treeshrew

 

T. dorsalis
Schlegel, 1857
Borneo
 
Size: 14–23 cm (6–9 in) long, plus 10–13 cm (4–5 in) tail[40]

Habitat: Forest[41]

Diet: Insects, fruit, seeds, and leaves[40]
 DD 


Unknown  [41]

Sumatran treeshrew


T. ferruginea
Raffles, 1821
Sumatra and Tanahbala, Indonesia Size: 13–21 cm (5–8 in) long, plus 12–20 cm (5–8 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Unknown[42]

Diet: Fruit and insects[14]
 DD 


Unknown  [42]

References edit

  1. ^ "Fossilworks: Scandentia". Paleobiology Database. University of Wisconsin–Madison. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Wilson, Reeder, pp. 104–109
  3. ^ a b Askay, Sean (2000). "Ptilocercus lowii". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Cassola, F. (2016). "Ptilocercus lowii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41491A22278277. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T41491A22278277.en.
  5. ^ a b Bora, Suhani (2002). "Anathana ellioti". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Molur, S. (2016). "Anathana ellioti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T39593A22278758. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T39593A22278758.en.
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  8. ^ a b Gerrie, R.; Kennerley, R. (2019). "Dendrogale melanura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T6405A22278427. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T6405A22278427.en.
  9. ^ Hutchins, Kleiman, Geist, McDade, Trumpey, p. 294
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  12. ^ a b c d e Francis, p. 48
  13. ^ a b Sargis, E.; Kennerley, R. (2019). "Tupaia discolor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T111873499A111873502. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T111873499A111873502.en.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Selig, K. R.; Sargis, E. J.; Silcox, M. T. (2019). "The frugivorous insectivores? Functional morphological analysis of molar topography for inferring diet in extant treeshrews (Scandentia)". Journal of Mammalogy. 100 (6): 1901–1917. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz151.
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  21. ^ a b Cassola, F. (2016). "Tupaia tana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41501A22279356. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T41501A22279356.en.
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Sources edit