pen-tailed tree shrew

Thân thiện

The pen-tailed tree shrew climbs a branch in the rainforest.

Definition

Noun: A small, nocturnal mammal native to Southeast Asian rainforests, scientifically known as Ptilocercus lowii. It is characterized by a distinctive tail that is hairless for most of its length but has a feather-like tuft of long, stiff white hairs at the end, resembling a quill pen.

Usage

The term "pen-tailed tree shrew" is used specifically to refer to this unique species of tree shrew. It is a zoological term. - The pen-tailed tree shrew is considered a living fossil, as it is the most primitive species of tree shrew. - Researchers study the pen-tailed tree shrew to understand early mammalian evolution.

Advanced Usage

• The pen-tailed tree shrew is notable for its high alcohol tolerance, as it regularly consumes fermented nectar from the bertam palm.
• In taxonomic classification, it is the sole living representative of the family Ptilocercidae, distinct from other tree shrews in the family Tupaiidae.

Variants and Related Words

• Pen-tailed treeshrew: An alternative spelling, often written as a single compound word.
• Ptilocercus lowii: The scientific binomial name.
• Tree shrew: The common name for the order Scandentia, to which the pen-tailed tree shrew belongs.

Synonyms

• Feather-tailed tree shrew: A descriptive synonym referencing the tail's appearance.

Related Phrases/Idioms

This is a specific zoological term and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs.

Học thuật

Noun

1. brown tree shrew having a naked tail bilaterally fringed with long stiff hairs on the distal third; of Malaysia

Từ đồng nghĩa

• pentail
• pen-tail