Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum

Tupaiidae

I came across this seemingly adorable little treeshrew with its little adorable berries eating them adorably, and I was enamored with it until I turned it around for a second view — yikes!  Okay buddy, you can keep your berries, I’ll just put you back in the cabinet.  This specimen had a lack of information, but not least of all a reason why the person who prepared this little guy had to make him look so nasty.  I’ve never seen a treeshrew in real life but perhaps they are as protective/territorial as the taxidermist is making this one seem!  In which case I’m not sure that I would want to come across one. 

As a side note, treeshrews are not exactly shrews and their evolutionary lineage is currently being disputed between being nearer genetically to primates or colugos!