The common tree shrew (Tupaia glis) is a genus of tree shrew with no subspecies. Good climbing, mostly on trees, vines or shrubs, but also on the ground. Diurnal. Insects as the main food, but also eat young birds, mice and some wild fruits. Will communicate by smell and sound, when threatened, will make a constant "squeal", when mating and courtship, will make a "clucking" and whistle-like sound.
For the most part, the common tree shrew is monogamous, has no defined breeding season, and can mate all year round, reaching a breeding peak between February and June each year. Female tree shrews have an estrus cycle lasting from 8 to 39 days and a gestation period of 40 to 52 days, giving birth to one to three young at a time. . The young are blind, hairless, weigh about 10 to 12 grams at birth, have an average weaning age of 36 days, can leave the nest after about 1 month, and reach sexual maturity at 3 months. During breastfeeding, the mother tree shrew provides relatively little maternal love, giving her only a few minutes the next day to feed her young.
The range and number of common tree shrews are decreasing, but they are still quite common, especially in Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, with up to 26 individuals per hectare (2015 data), and are therefore classified as not at risk by the IUCN. But the species needs to be closely monitored due to habitat loss due to activities such as deforestation.
Common tree shrew is an important animal successfully domesticated in recent years. Tree shrews have been considered as a substitute for primates due to their close relationship with primates and some unique characteristics suitable for crop laboratory animals, such as the smaller body size of adult tree shrews, higher brain-to-body mass ratio, and shorter reproductive and life cycles. As an alternative animal model, tree shrews have been widely used in biomedical research and drug safety testing. Animal models established by tree shrews have been used to carry out medical research. Models of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), two human infection viruses, visual research models, social stress and depression research models have been established. And aging and learning behavior. With the progress of modern molecular biology, especially the development of a new generation of genome sequencing technology and the decoding of the genetic code of tree shrews, tree shrews will become an important experimental animal to replace primates in medical research and drug trials.
Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2017 Red List of Threatened Species ver 3.1 - Not Threatened (LC)
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