NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Nicobar Tree Shrew
Tupaia nicobarica (Zelebor, 1869)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Nicobar treeshrew (Tupaia nicobarica) is a species of small, non-volant mammal. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands of the Andaman Sea, India. where it inhabits the islands' rain forests. Based on geographical distribution, there are two subspecies identified: T. nicobarica nicobarica from the Great Nicobar Island and T. nicobarica surda from the Little Nicobar Island.
It is threatened by habitat loss, anthropogenic activities, forest fragmentation, tsunami events, and predation by other animals. and is classified as an Endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Despite the listing, it is commonly found in its appropriate habitats.
The Nicobar treeshrew was first described by Johann Zelebor in 1868.
Wikipedia contributors, Nicobar treeshrew; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:12:15.104145+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tupaia nicobarica (Zelebor, 1869)
- Name authority
- (Zelebor, 1869)
- Common name
- Nicobar Tree Shrew
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Scandentia
- Family
- Tupaiidae
- Genus
- Tupaia
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderScandentia Wagner, 1855
- familyTupaiidae Gray, 1825
- genusTupaia Raffles, 1821
- speciesTupaia nicobarica (Zelebor, 1869)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Tupaia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Tree ShrewTupaia belangeri (Wagner, 1841) | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Golden-bellied Tree ShrewTupaia chrysogaster Miller, 1903 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Slender Tree ShrewTupaia gracilis Thomas, 1893 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-footed Tree ShrewTupaia longipes Thomas, 1893 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser TreeshrewTupaia minor Günther, 1876 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mountain Tree ShrewTupaia montana Thomas, 1892 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Painted Tree ShrewTupaia picta Thomas, 1892 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ruddy Tree ShrewTupaia splendidula Gray, 1865 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Large Tree ShrewTupaia tana Raffles, 1821 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Striped Tree ShrewTupaia dorsalis Schlegel, 1857 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mindanao TreeshrewTupaia everetti Thomas, 1892 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Javan TreeshrewTupaia hypochrysa Thomas, 1895 | TupaiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Tupaia nicobarica nicobarica (Zelebor, 1869) (Zelebor, 1869) | synonym |
| Tupaia nicobarica surda Miller, 1902 Miller, 1902 | synonym |
| Cladobates nicobaricus Zelebor, 1869 Zelebor, 1869 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=573226 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:59LYP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.