Tupai. A Field Study Of Bornean Treeshrews

Treeshrews suffer from chronic mistaken identity : they are not shrews, and most are not found in trees. These squirrel-sized, brownish mammals were at one time thought to be primates. Even though most scientists now believe them to belong in their own mammalian order, they still are thought to resemble some of the earliest mammals. Their lifestyles may provide a view on why evolution took the direction that it did. This book describes the results of the first comparative study of the ecology of treeshrews in the wild. Noted tropical mammalogist Louise Emmons conducted her pathbreaking research in the rainforests of Borneo, tracking and observing six species of treeshrews. Hers is the first study to use radio-tracking of treeshrews, and the most detailed study to date-of any member of the treeshrew order. Emmons meticulously describes their habitat, diet, nesting habits, home range, activity patterns, social behavior, and many other facets of their lives. She also discusses a particularly interesting aspect of treeshrews : their enigmatic parental care system, which is unique among mammals.