Common Treeshrew

Common Treeshrew

Tupaia glis

Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Kuala Lumpur

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

138 Verified sightings at Kuala Lumpur
15 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Common Treeshrew

The common treeshrew (Tupaia glis) is a small mammal in the treeshrew family Tupaiidae, and is native to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it remains common and displays some adaptability to ongoing habitat loss.

The common treeshrew is one of the largest among treeshrews. Average body length is between 16 and 21 cm (6.3 and 8.3 in), and average weight is around 190 g, with varying colours of reddish-brown, greyish or black upper parts and whitish belly. Its long, bushy tail is dark greyish-brown and almost reaches the length of the body. The paws are bare with sharp nails, and with a naked patch of skin above its long nose. Both sexes are similar. The animal has a head and body length of 13–21 cm and a tail length of 12–20 cm. The common treeshrew usually has a white, pale stripe on each shoulder.

The underparts of T. g. longipes are dull buff to reddish-buff, and the underside of the tail is greyish. The underparts and underside of the tail are dark reddish in T. g. salatana. Similar species... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Agonistic call0:27

Singapore · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1143122 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
2 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
2 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 Wilhelma 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
4 Kazan Zoo & Botanical Garden 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
5 Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Treeshrew in Kuala Lumpur?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Treeshrew sighting in Kuala Lumpur on a given day, based on 138 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 9 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Treeshrew in Kuala Lumpur?

February, May–June and September–October

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Treeshrew in Kuala Lumpur on a given day, against about 20% in July, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Common Treeshrew?

Between 2 and 5 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Treeshrew sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Kuala Lumpur the best place to see a Common Treeshrew?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Common Treeshrew sightings, Kuala Lumpur has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Singapore (Singapore, about 10%).

Where does the Common Treeshrew sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Treeshrew is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kuala Lumpur (138 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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