Mindanao treeshrew

Mindanao treeshrew[1]
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Scandentia
Family: Tupaiidae
Genus: Urogale
Mearns, 1905
Species: U. everetti
Binomial name
Urogale everetti
(Thomas, 1892)
Mindanao treeshrew range

The Mindanao treeshrew (Urogale everetti), also called the Philippine tree shrew, is a species of treeshrew endemic to the Mindanao region in the Philippines.[2] It is the only member of the genus Urogale. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett.

Range and habitat

It is found, as its name suggests, in Mindanao, in the Philippines. It lives in rain forests and montane forests.

Description

It is the heaviest treeshrew, weighing about 355 g, and is terrestrial.[3] The body is 17-20 cm, and the tail is 11-17 cm. It has a particularly elongated snout and a rounded, even-haired tail. The fur is brownish, but with orange or yellow underparts.

It is diurnal in its habits, and it climbs well and runs fast on the ground.

Diet

Its diet is varied. It includes insects, lizards, young birds, bird's eggs, and fruit.

Reproduction

It is thought that in the wild, it nests on the ground, or on cliffs. Their breeding habits have been observed in captivity, where females have produced 1 or 2 young after a gestation period of 54-56 days.

References

  1. ↑ Helgen, K. M. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M, eds. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tabaranza, B., Gonzalez, J. C., Ambal, G. & Heaney, L. (2008). Urogale everetti. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  3. ↑ Napier JR, Napier PH. (1968) A handbook of living primates. Morphology, ecology and behaviour of nonhuman primates. Academic, London