Tree shrew is a group of small, swift-moving mammals that live in the forests of India, Southeast Asia, and southern China. Tree shrews look and act like small squirrels with long noses. They grow less than 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, not including their tails, and weigh less than 1 pound (0.5 kilogram). A few species (kinds) of tree shrews live primarily in trees and bushes. However, most species spend more time on the ground. Tree shrews feed mainly on fruits, insects, and worms.
Tree shrews are primitive animals—that is, they represent an early stage of evolution. In the past, many zoologists classified tree shrews among the primates, the order of mammals that includes monkeys and apes. Tree shrews, like primates, have relatively large brains and eyes. Other zoologists classified tree shrews with the insectivores, a traditional group that included shrews and moles. Like these animals, tree shrews have claws on all their fingers and toes. Today, most zoologists place tree shrews in their own order and believe that these animals may resemble the common ancestor of primates and true shrews.
