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Large Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse

Chiropodomys major

Photo by AlbertKang
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

The Large Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse - Chiropodomys major is a small size mouse with a very long tail.
Saw this guy climbing up the small tree during a night walk, it stopped for a few minutes allowing me to get close to within a feet to take this picture.

They are endemic to the island of Borneo.

Habitat:

Tropical rainforest.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (9)

Thanks, @Daniel and PN for this SOTW :) Thanks too, @Leuba and @armadeus.4 for your kind words and support :)
Congratulations Albert! Wonderful spotting. Thank you for sharing :)
Congratulations Albert, your Large Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse has been voted Spotting of the Week. The endemic, adapted, and novel aspects of this species won you the vote! "Did you know that there are tree-dwelling mice? This Large Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse (Chiropodomys major) has been voted Spotting of the Week. The genus Chiropodomys comprises 6 extant species of very small arboreal mice, mostly found in Southeast Asian forest sites. Their tail is only sparsely covered with hair but is tufted at the end, giving the appearance of a pencil. These mice have short and broad feet with a semi-opposable hallux (big toe) with a flat nail, an adaptation typical of canopy dwellers. Tree mice are the smallest non-flying mammals in the canopy. Chiropodomys major is endemic to the island of Borneo. Find out more about this species here: https://buff.ly/2o8wXgx " Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603.674700.10150120463815603/10160062966355603/?type=3&theater Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/965323639838175232
A Tree Mouse - wonderful ! Good you got to see it Albert.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Thanks, @Daniele. Have seen them before but never been able to take decent pictures of them as they always scurry away, but this time, this one freeze for a few minutes allowing me to get close :)
Fascinating little critter! The tail is amazing. First on Project Noah.

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