02 · NATIVE RANGE
Distribution
Occurs through parts of the Sundaic region, including southern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo.
COUNTRIES / REGIONThailand · Malaysia · Singapore · Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo)
TREE SQUIRRELS · SPECIES PROFILE
Shrew-faced Squirrel
Rhinosciurus laticaudatus
Near ThreatenedDETAILED REFERENCE
Back to Tree Squirrels →
Body lengthTotal length reported ~290–392 mm
Tail lengthIncluded within total length; species has a comparatively long tail
WeightUnknown
ActivityTerrestrial and primarily forest-floor foraging; detailed activity-cycle studies are limited.
BreedingUnknown
LifespanUnknown
01
Classification & Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
SubfamilyNannosciurinae
TribeNannosciurini
GenusRhinosciurus
SpeciesRhinosciurus laticaudatus
Authority(Müller, 1840)
Biogeographic realmIndomalaya
Current name: Rhinosciurus laticaudatus. Current MDD: Near Threatened
Type / taxonomic context: Southeast Asia
02 · HABITAT
Where it lives
Lowland and hill tropical forest, where it spends much of its time on or near the forest floor among leaf litter, roots and fallen woody material.
03
Shelter, Nest & Resting Sites
Detailed nesting and resting-site data are limited. Ground-level cover, fallen wood and dense forest structure are important components of its habitat.
RANGE & HABITAT CONTEXT
Compare form, setting and structure
Related tree squirrels help break up the reference while showing how habitat, body form and movement can vary across the broader group.
04
Identification & Physical Profile
Body lengthTotal length reported ~290–392 mm
Tail lengthIncluded within total length; species has a comparatively long tail
WeightUnknown
AppearanceA highly distinctive terrestrial squirrel with an elongated, pointed muzzle, reduced upper incisors and a long tongue. Dorsal fur is brown while the underside is pale buff to whitish.
A highly distinctive terrestrial squirrel with an elongated, pointed muzzle, reduced upper incisors and a long tongue. Dorsal fur is brown while the underside is pale buff to whitish.
FIELD / REFERENCE CLUES
Very long shrew-like muzzle
Terrestrial forest-floor behavior
Brown upperparts
Pale underside
Long tongue
Reduced upper incisors
05 · BEHAVIOR & ACTIVITY
How it behaves
Terrestrial and primarily forest-floor foraging; detailed activity-cycle studies are limited.
Social system: Unknown
Communication: Unknown
06 · DIET & FORAGING
What it eats
Strongly insectivorous relative to most squirrels. Documented foods include ants, termites, earthworms, beetles and other invertebrates, with fruit also taken.
Ants
Termites
Earthworms
Beetles and other invertebrates
Fruit
07
Reproduction & Development
Breeding seasonUnknown
GestationUnknown
Litter sizeUnknown
DevelopmentUnknown
When a value is shown as Unknown, the reviewed species-specific sources did not support a reliable figure. Values from related squirrels are not substituted.
BEHAVIOR & FORAGING CONTEXT
Keep behavior connected to the animal
These are related tree squirrels, not photographs of Shrew-faced Squirrel. Use them as visual context for locomotion, posture, feeding and environmental use.
08 · LONGEVITY
Lifespan
Unknown
08 · PREDATORS
Predation & Risk
Unknown
09
Ecology & Ecosystem Role
Its elongated rostrum and tongue are specialized for extracting invertebrate prey from litter and crevices, giving it an ecological role unlike that of typical nut-focused tree squirrels.
GROUP DIVERSITY
See the wider group around this species
Squirrels in the same broad group can look and live very differently. These credited references provide comparison without changing the facts for Shrew-faced Squirrel.
10
Conservation
STATUSNear Threatened
Current MDD treatment lists the Shrew-faced Squirrel as Near Threatened. Loss and degradation of Sundaic lowland forest are important conservation pressures across much of its range.
11
Research Coverage & Unknowns
Morphology and diet are relatively well characterized; reproduction, lifespan, social system and detailed movement ecology remain poorly documented.
12
References & Further Reading
Taxonomy and conservation are anchored to current mammal references. Natural-history claims use species-specific sources where available; unsupported fields remain Unknown.