**Large treeshrew (Tupaia tana paitana)**

One of Borneo’s most distinctive small mammals, this large terrestrial treeshrew spends much of its time searching the forest floor for insects and fallen fruits.

Context

A single individual photographed searching for food on the forest floor at CP Song’s bird hide in the Mount Trusmadi area of Sabah, Malaysia.

Field notes

Treeshrews move very quickly and can be extremely shy, making them difficult subjects to photograph in the wild. A few species have learned to visit bird hides to feed in various parts of Southeast Asia, giving photographers excellent opportunities to document otherwise elusive mammals.

I have photographed this species twice at bird hides in Borneo: once very briefly at a hide near the Kinabatangan River, and on another occasion, documented here, during a longer encounter at Trusmadi bird hide.

Trusmadi bird hide is one of the best places I know for photographing small mammals in Borneo. During a single morning, I documented five squirrel species, all endemic to Borneo, as well as at least two different treeshrew species.

Key facts

The large treeshrew occurs in Sumatra, Borneo, and a few nearby smaller islands. It inhabits a variety of forest environments, from lowland rainforest to montane forests at elevations of up to approximately 1,500 m asl.

Fifteen subspecies of the large treeshrew have been described, and at least three occur in Borneo, including two or more in Sabah. Recording the precise location where an individual was observed or photographed is particularly useful for subspecies identification, as morphological differences can be very subtle.

The large treeshrew is the largest species of treeshrew. It is more terrestrial than most other treeshrews and can be recognized by its very long snout and generally darker, more reddish coloration.

Conservation

The large treeshrew is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and remains relatively widespread across much of its range, although populations are declining in parts of Sumatra because of habitat loss.

The species can tolerate a degree of habitat modification and may be particularly common in fruit orchards, secondary forests, and degraded forests with dense understorey vegetation.

Although not considered threatened at present, the large treeshrew serves as a reminder that even relatively common forest mammals ultimately depend on the long-term preservation of Borneo’s remaining ecosystems.