Best treeshrew exhibits? And what species are kept in captivity?

[Komodo Dragon]

Treeshrews are very interesting creatures, but I feel as though they are not especially familiar with the general public. What are the exhibits that best display these small arboreal mammals?

Also what species are kept in captivity?

 

[JVM]

Northern Tree Shrew is one of the more common species in this family in captivity. Lincoln Park Zoo has one which I saw last month, and Brookfield had some years ago. Looking at the gallery they have been held at Bronx, Cleveland, National, Potter Park, Fort Wayne, Moody Gardens, and formerly Denver. Frankfurt and Duisburg appear to be European holders. Common Tree shrew are also were kept at Bronx and Uneo recently. Belanger's Tree Shrew is also held in some European collections such as Chester.

This is mostly from glancing through the gallery, as I have only seen the Chicago animals in person. I hope someone can give you better information than I have.

 

[Komodo Dragon]

I have found some scientific papers detailing Mountain Treeshrews (Tupaia montana) being studied at the University of Missouri in the 60s. They were described as being more social than other species and even successfully bred there.

I don't know if Mountain Threeshrews were ever in zoos, but all this implies they are a rather easy species to keep in captivity.

 

[Dassie rat]

ZTL lists the following species that have been kept in ZTL collections:
Northern tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri): Now 47 ZTL collections, formerly 42 collections
Common tree shrew (T glis): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 52 collections
Large tree shrew (T tana): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 11 collections
Pygmy tree shrew (T mnor): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 5 collections
Madras tree shrew (Anathana ellioti): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 1 collection

 

[Hvedekorn]

Randers Regnskov keeps them free-ranging in their "Asia Dome", a 700 square meters (about 7,500 square feet) tropical house. Even though they can hide all year long if they want to, you usually do see them, either near the feeding station or climbing around the supporting beams of the roof.

Otherwise, I feel like zoos rarely can be bothered to build tree shrew exhibits that are better than just average. That's a shame, since they're really interesting animals education-wise.

 

[amur leopard]

Belanger's Tree Shrew is also held in some European collections such as Chester.

Belanger's treeshrew is another name for the Northern treeshrew .
Ueno still keeps Common treeshrews afaik.

 

[gentle lemur]

ZTL lists the following species that have been kept in ZTL collections:
Northern tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri): Now 47 ZTL collections, formerly 42 collections
Common tree shrew (T glis): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 52 collections
Large tree shrew (T tana): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 11 collections
Pygmy tree shrew (T mnor): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 5 collections
Madras tree shrew (Anathana ellioti): Now 0 ZTL collections, formerly 1 collection

In the 1970s, as I expect you know, London Zoo kept several of these species in the Clore Pavilion. I think this was linked to studies on this group at the Institute of Zoology, which is also part of the Zoological Society of London. I have posted photos of A ellioti, T minor and T tana in our Gallery.
In the British climate they are kept indoors and a pair does not require a particularly large enclosure, but they do need a choice of nestboxes to breed successfully. They are generally quite active and interesting; I always imagine that, in some ways, they might resemble the first mammals that evolved in the age of the dinosaurs.

 

[Swampy]

They are generally quite active and interesting; I always imagine that, in some ways, they might resemble the first mammals that evolved in the age of the dinosaurs.

The very early Cretaceous-Palaeocene boundary primate/proto-primate Purgatorius is generally reconstructed as very tree-shrew-like in appearance; I don't know if this is due to any particular traits of the (very fragmentary) fossils, or just due to taxonomic assumptions.

 

[Dassie rat]

In the 1970s, as I expect you know, London Zoo kept several of these species in the Clore Pavilion. I think this was linked to studies on this group at the Institute of Zoology, which is also part of the Zoological Society of London. I have posted photos of A ellioti, T minor and T tana in our Gallery.

Thanks, Gentle Lemur. I remember seeing several species in the Clore Pavilion. I'm surprised that only 1 species is kept in ZTL collections. I attended a 'Primate Biology and Anthropogenesis' course at Birkbeck College. Professor Robert Martin was emphatic that tree shews are not primates.

 

[15399]

Rosamond Gifford Zoo has a really nice habitat for Northern Tree Shrews, the only one I've seen in recent years. Years ago, however, Roger Williams had them in the then-Australasia building, but eventually their habitat was demolished in favor of komodo dragons- along with other habitats for smaller animals also being demolished. I do miss the tree shrews though and would be very pleased if they returned someday.