Ok, to start with, this is the only nocturnal tree shrew we know of, and they're rather lethargic during the day. I, personally, think that it's because one of the interesting eating habits of the Pen-Tailed Tree Shrew. They are the only known mammal that consumes alcohol regularly. Humans and a lot of other mammals like alcohol and getting drunk sometimes, but Pen-Tailed Tree Shrews are one of the main 'pollinators' of Bertram Palms, since they eat the fermented fruit, get drunk, and poop out the seeds somewhere else. They don't tend to show signs of inebriation, but some scientists think it had a positive psychological effect on them.
These tree shrews look a lot like squirrels, but they aren't. They're about the same size and do a lot of the same things, so tourists probably call them squirrels a lot, but they aren't. They're found in southern Asia, in Thailand, Malaysia, and Borneo, among other islands. Unlike the other tree shrews in the area, the pen-tailed shrew has a naked tail with just a tuft at the end. Since it's so different from the others, the pen-tailed tree shrew is in it's own branch of the family tree, and is considered possibly the evolutionary predecessor of all the other tree shrews.
Some call these guys the party animal, or the frat boys of the animal world, because of their love of alcohol, and I just thought you all needed to know.
Here's a picture from Animal Diversity.
Sources:
House of Apple Jay-- Pen Tailed Tree Shrew
Thai National Parks-- Pen Tailed Tree Shrew
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