Tree Shrews with Birds?

fkalltheway

fkalltheway

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Has anybody ever seen any tree shrew species kept with birds or reptiles before? I don't think the species would bother each other much provided there were areas where the birds could escape the tree shrews. Stress might be a determining factor between trying these mixes, and presumably keepers would have to get creative with how to feed each species, but I think that it might be able to work.

So, has anyone seen this done before?
 
Yes, the Fresno Zoo does it (as of the last time I was there in summer 2013, and they have been doing it for a few years). They have a small aviary with African birds and some very active, acrobatic tree shrews. I can't remember which bird species were in with the tree shrews - you might contact the zoo and ask.

Here is a picture of the aviary: http://www.zoochat.com/1128/tawny-frogmouth-superb-starling-white-rumped-243518/

There are 4 individual aviaries around the building and I'm not sure which one the tree shrews were in.
 
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Adelaide Zoo (Australia) used to have mixed tree shrew/bird exhibits but I don't know the details off the top of my head.

Not sure how the mix would go in a bird-breeding situation though.
 
At Randers Tropical Zoo in Denmark tree shrews have been kept for years in the 700 m2/7500 sq ft Asian dome with a few typical rainforest hall birds, as well as Prevost's squirrel and flying foxes. Not entirely sure if there has been any problems, but I don't think so. The tree shrews have bred there. Rainforest halls in general have relatively little breeding among birds (compared to e.g. species specific aviaries), but I guess nest predation is the most likely problem and potentially also predation of small adult birds (I suspect anything from the size of a house sparrow and up should be pretty safe).
 
I would be worried about keeping treeshrews with any small animal, they are known to take small birds, mammals and reptiles in their natural diet. They would certainly eat any eggs from parent birds who cannot defend their nest.

Also trees shrews are very nervous animals and I'd worry that when rearing their young the birds flapping and flying could stop them visiting the nest.
 
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