just like the case of the water monitor lizard and clouded monitor lizard, i am quite sure that a number of adults have mixed up the tree shrew with the squirrel. i have. each time i saw a small creature scampering about on the tree, i would conclude that it was a squirrel until i came upon this information board during one of my walks. it depicted the differences between the tree shrew and the squirrel.
i am positive that i have come across both the tree shrew and the squirrel but i had no inkling that they were two different types of animals. actually, the tree shrew is not a shrew. neither is it a squirrel. there is more information on the tree shrew here. the tree shrew can be distinguished by its pointed snout and its less bushy tail.
it seems that there are three species of squirrels in our parks and forest reserves but so far i have only encounter one species - the plantain squirrel. the other two species are the slender squirrel and the variable squirrel.
this blogger managed to photograph both the squirrel and tree shrew on one of his nature walks.
this morning, i was at sungei buloh wetland reserve with my regular kakis. we came across five or six squirrels but did not see any tree shrew.
4 comments:
Interesting! I shall look carefully next time.
So was William Shakespeare refering to this animal in Taming of the Shrew?
yu-kym, it looks like the tree shrew is more difficult to spot. must look at the snout.
victor, the tree shrew is not a shrew.
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