Ptilocercidae – Pen-tailed treeshrew
A drunkard – the only known mammal that consumes alcohol every night from fermented nectar of the bertam palm
Pen-tailed treeshrews are light brown to grey at the back and have white or yellowish bellies. They can be easily identified by their trademark plume-like hairs that are black at the start and fades to white towards the end of their tail. The plume-like hairs occupy about 2/5 of their tail.
They have been observed eating grapes, bananas, grasshoppers, and crickets. A study shows that they consume fermented nectar equivalent to 10 to 12 glasses of wine with an alcohol concentration of up to 3.8%. Fermented bertam palm nectar is one of the natural foods with the highest alcohol concentration. Although they consume high amounts of alcohol, there is no sign of intoxication.
Genera in this family
A drunkard – the only known mammal that consumes alcohol every night from fermented nectar of the bertam palm