Tupaia palawanensis, Thomas, 1894

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Tupaiidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 242-269 : 269

22.

Palawan Treeshrew

Tupaia palawanensis

French: Toupaye de Palawan / German: Palawan-Spitzhérnchen / Spanish: Tupaya de Palawan

Other common names: Calamian Treeshrew ( moellendorffi )

Taxonomy. Tupaia ferruginea palawanensis Thomas, 1894 ,

“Palawan” Island, Philip- pines .

Tupaia moellendorffi was previously a dis-

tinct species, but recent revisions indicat-

ed that 7. palawanensis and T. moellendorffi

are subspecies of the same species. Within T. moellendorffi , there were three subspecies (nominate moellendorffi , busuangae, and cuyonis) that were placed here as synonyms and appear to have pelage and some

size variation. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

T.p.palawanensisThomas,1894—PalawanandBalabacIs,Philippines.

T. p. moellendorffi Matschie, 1898 — Busuanga, Culion, and Cuyo Is, Philippines.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 157-190 mm, tail 150-180 mm, ear 12-16 mm, hindfoot 39-47 mm; weight 120-160 g. The Palawan Treeshrew is medium-sized (much smaller than the Mindanao Treeshrew (7. everetti ), also found in the Philippines but on different islands); has brown-agouti pelage, with light counter color; and subtle pelage variation between named forms (current and synonymized subspecies).

Habitat. Primary and secondary forests, agricultural lands, and plantations from sea level to elevations of ¢.1400 m. The Palawan Treeshrew is rare in montane forests and has variable densities in similar forests.

Food and Feeding. Captive Palawan Treeshrews are omnivorous diet and eat invertebrates with hard exoskeletons.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Two bouts of activity of Palawan Treeshrews appear to be common: one early in morning and the second in late afternoon.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Densities of Palawan Treeshrews are 1-6-3-2 ind/ha. The Palawan treeshrew has been described as solitary.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. Overall population of the Palawan Treeshrew is stable, probably because of the diverse habitats it occupies.

Bibliography. Dans (1993), Esselstyn et al. (2004), Gonzalez et al. (2016).

Figures

1. Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew (Dendrogale murina), 2. Bornean Smooth-tailed Treeshrew (Dendrogale melanura), 3. Madras Treeshrew (Anathana ellioti), 4. Northern Treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri), 5. Lesser Treeshrew (Tupaia minor), 6. Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis), 7. Nicobar Treeshrew (Tupaia nicobarica), 8. Sumatran Treeshrew (Tupaia ferruginea), 9. Golden-bellied Treeshrew (Tupaia chrysogaster), 10. Banka Island Treeshrew (Tupaia discolor), 11. Horsfield’s Treeshrew (Tupaia javanica), 12. Javan Treeshrew (Tupaia hypochrysa), 13. Large Treeshrew (Tupaia tana), 14. Long-footed Treeshrew (Tupaia longipes), 15. Slender Treeshrew (Tupaia gracilis), 16. Mountain Treeshrew (Tupaia montana), 17. Striped Treeshrew (Tupaia dorsalis), 18. Painted Treeshrew (Tupaia picta), 19. Kalimantan Treeshrew (Tupaia salatana), 20. Splendid Treeshrew (Tupaia splendidula), 21. Mindanao Treeshrew (Tupaia everetti), 22. Palawan Treeshrew (Tupaia palawanensis)

Subspecies and Distribution. T.p.palawanensisThomas,1894—PalawanandBalabacIs,Philippines. T. p. moellendorffi Matschie, 1898 — Busuanga, Culion, and Cuyo Is, Philippines.