Wildlifeof Thailand
Northern Treeshrew
Pangolins, Treeshrews, Shrews & Gymnures
Photo: (c) luluchouette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Tupaia belangeri
Basic stats
Diet
Includes chilli peppers; it is the only mammal besides humans known to eat spicy food willingly
Range
Southeast Asia
Weight
About 0.2kg
The northern treeshrew is a small treeshrew of Southeast Asia, weighing about 200 g as an adult. A telemetry study found that its body temperature swings from about 35 °C at night to about 40 °C by day, a larger daily difference than in other endotherms (Wikipedia, general species account).
Besides humans, it is the only mammal known to eat spicy food willingly, thanks to a genetic mutation that makes it far less sensitive to capsaicin. The maximum recorded longevity is 11 years. Its eyes resemble human eyes more closely than those of rodents do, so it has been widely used as a model in vision and liver-disease research (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Northern Treeshrew eat?
- Includes chilli peppers; it is the only mammal besides humans known to eat spicy food willingly
- Where is the Northern Treeshrew found?
- Southeast Asia
- How much does the Northern Treeshrew weigh?
- About 0.2kg