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Glite Dictionary
pen-tailed tree shrew

pen-tailed tree shrew

9.9
A small brown mammal from Malaysia with a bare tail and long stiff hairs at the tip
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : tamarino de cola desnuda
  • The pen-tailed tree shrew has a unique tail that distinguishes it from other small mammals in Malaysia.

Examples

  • Unlike many rodents, the pen-tailed tree shrew includes nectar in its regular diet.

  • Researchers observed the nocturnal behavior of a pen-tailed tree shrew in its natural habitat.

  • The pen-tailed tree shrew is a fascinating animal.

  • Many people have never seen a pen-tailed tree shrew.

  • Researchers observed the nocturnal behavior of a pen-tailed tree shrew in its natural habitat.

  • The pen-tailed tree shrew has a unique tail that distinguishes it from other small mammals in Malaysia.

  • Unlike many rodents, the pen-tailed tree shrew includes nectar in its regular diet.

Synonyms

pen-tail
vspen-tailed tree shrew
  • UK
9.9

A small brown tree shrew from Malaysia with a bare tail fringed by stiff hairs at the tip

describes hairs along the tail's last third rather than only at the tip
pentail
vspen-tailed tree shrew
9.9

A small brown tree shrew from Malaysia with a tail fringed by stiff hairs near the tip

focuses on hairs along the tail's last third rather than just near the tip

Surface Forms

pen-tailed tree shrew singular
pen-tailed tree shrews plural

Morphology

pen-tailed + tree + shrew

The phrase is a descriptive compound: 'tree shrew' is transparently a shrew associated with trees, and 'pen-tailed' can be parsed as 'pen' + 'tailed' meaning having a tail shaped or marked like a pen; together they describe a shrew with a particular tail. This kind of compositional zoological name follows straightforward modifier+noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words could infer the basic meaning.

Etymology

Pen-tailed tree shrew gets its name from the look of its tail: the last part is bare but has a small bunch of long, stiff hairs that look like the tip of a 'pen'. So the words pen-tailed and tree shrew simply say it is a small tree shrew with a 'pen-like' tail.