The treeshrews (also called tree shrews or banxrings[3]) are small mammals native to the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia.

Female treeshrews have a gestation period of 45–50 days and give birth to up to three young in nests lined with dry leaves inside tree hollows.

The pen-tailed treeshrew in Malaysia is able to consume large amounts of naturally fermented nectar from flower buds of the bertam palm Eugeissona tristis (with up to 3.8% alcohol content) the entire year without it having any effects on behaviour.

A single TRPV1 mutation reduces their pain response to capsaicinoids, which scientists believe is an evolutionary adaptation to be able to consume spicy foods in their natural habitats.

Molecular phylogenetic studies have suggested that the treeshrews, with the primates and the flying lemurs (colugos), belong to the grandorder Euarchonta.

[19][20] Shared short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) offer strong evidence for Scandentia belonging to the Euarchonta group:[21] Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, pikas) Rodentia (rodents) Scandentia (treeshrews) Dermoptera (colugos) Primates (†Plesiadapiformes, Strepsirrhini, Haplorrhini) The 23 species are placed in four genera, which are divided into two families.

The oldest putative treeshrew, Eodendrogale parva, is from the Middle Eocene of Henan, China, but the identity of this animal is uncertain.