Like Andy Dick, Malaysia's pen-tailed tree-shrew (why "tree-shrew" is hyphenated I don't know, but I'm going with the BBC since they invented English) spends its nights drinking as much as its tiny body can stand. But unlike Andy Dick, the adorable tree-shrews don't succumb to their basest groping and public urination desires after scarfing down the booze. In fact, they rarely even get drunk. The nectar they suck from the flower buds of the bertram palm is a naturally fermented spirit with up to a 3.8% alcohol content, but after 55 million years of evolution, the little critters have built up quite a tolerance. Studying the tree-shrews' drinking habits could lead to a new understanding about humanity's relationship with alcohol. However, I wouldn't hold out hope that science will ever be able to fully understand Andy Dick. More details here.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Boozy Tree-shrew
