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Ptilocercus lowii
Basic stats
Diet
Nectar, fruit, insects
Habitat
Forest canopy, especially near bertam palms
Range
Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia
Litter size
1–3 young (typical for treeshrews)
Gestation period
About 45–55 days (typical for treeshrews)
Size
Small (head-body ~13–14cm)
Weight
~35–60g
An unusual, strictly nocturnal treeshrew with a distinctive tail resembling a feather quill — bare for most of its length with a tuft of long hairs at the tip. Notable in the scientific literature for regularly consuming naturally fermented nectar from bertam palm flowers, reaching blood alcohol levels that would impair most mammals with no apparent ill effect.
Nocturnal and arboreal, feeding on nectar, fruit and insects. Its unusual habits and nocturnal lifestyle make it a much rarer sighting than Borneo's diurnal treeshrews.
