Northern Treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri) lives in tropical rainforest across Southeast Asia. It feeds on insects and fruit. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Northern Treeshrew
- The northern treeshrew's body temperature varies widely, falling to about 35 °C during the night and rising to roughly 40 °C in daylight. A telemetry study recorded this 5 °C swing and found it exceeds the range seen in other endotherms. The pronounced fluctuation is linked to tightly coupled circadian rhythms of temperature and locomotor activity, meaning the animal's daily movements are timed to its thermal changes.
- Besides humans, the northern treeshrew is the only mammal known to willingly consume spicy food. This unusual tolerance stems from a genetic mutation that makes it far less sensitive to capsaicin, the compound that gives chilli peppers their heat. Because the mutation reduces the pain response, the treeshrew can eat hot foods without discomfort, a behaviour observed in both wild and captive individuals.
- Full-genome sequencing places the northern treeshrew closer to primates than to rabbits or rodents, estimating a divergence from primates about 90.9 million years ago. Earlier mitochondrial genome data had suggested a nearer relationship to rabbits, creating a taxonomic controversy that persists among researchers.
- The northern treeshrew's primary hepatocytes have been shown to support hepatitis C virus infection, making them a valuable laboratory tool for studying this leading cause of chronic liver disease. This discovery sparked broader interest in the species as a medical model, prompting researchers to explore its suitability for other biomedical investigations.
- The specific epithet Cladobates belangeri was first applied to this treeshrew in 1841 by the German zoologist Johann Andreas Wagner, who based the name on specimens collected in Pegu during a French expedition to Southeast Asia. Those same specimens had earlier been examined by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1834, who argued they were not sufficiently distinct from Tupaia tana to merit a separate species designation.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSoutheast Asia
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietInsects and fruit
About the Northern Treeshrew
In the lush, vibrant forests of Southeast Asia, the Northern Treeshrew darts and weaves with reckless abandon, its large, round eyes shining like dark jewels as it pursues its next meal with an insatiable hunger. With its slender body and agile limbs, it navigates the dense undergrowth with ease, its soft, grey fur blending seamlessly into the dappled shadows as it forages for insects and fruits with an irrepressible energy. As it moves, its long, pointed snout twitches with an almost comical intensity, giving this diminutive creature a curiously endearing air.
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