Illustration of tree shrew
tree shrew
noun
: any of a family (Tupaiidae of the order Scandentia) of small southeast Asian mammals that resemble squirrels, are of semiarboreal or terrestrial habit, feed chiefly on insects and fruit, and are sometimes classified as true insectivores or primitive primates
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Other mammals, including elephants and tree shrews, and some birds, such as Cedar Waxwings and hummingbirds, eat fermented fruit and nectar, which contain ethanol.
—
Kate Wong, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2025
According to the Lincoln Park Zoo, northern tree shrews are most closely related to primates and have no relation to actual shrews other than a coincidental resemblance to them.
—Rhiannon Saegert, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
The team says, however, that part of their next steps will be to develop mobile goggles that can ride along on the heads of larger rodents like rats or tree shrews.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 29 Dec. 2024
But evolution is also the culprit for the tree shrew's remarkable insensitivity to capsaicin.
—Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
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Kate Wong, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2025
According to the Lincoln Park Zoo, northern tree shrews are most closely related to primates and have no relation to actual shrews other than a coincidental resemblance to them.
—Rhiannon Saegert, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
The team says, however, that part of their next steps will be to develop mobile goggles that can ride along on the heads of larger rodents like rats or tree shrews.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 29 Dec. 2024
But evolution is also the culprit for the tree shrew's remarkable insensitivity to capsaicin.
—Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Tree shrew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tree%20shrew. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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