noun
tree shrew
Refers to small mammals of the order Scandentia, resembling squirrels but not true shrews. The term is rare and mainly used in biological contexts; the katakana form リスモドキ is standard.
See also: ツパイ
リスモドキは東南アジアに生息する小型哺乳類です。
Tree shrews are small mammals that inhabit Southeast Asia.
動物園でリスモドキを見たことがありますか。
Have you ever seen a tree shrew at the zoo?
ツパイ is another name for tree shrews, often used interchangeably with リスモドキ, but ツパイ may be more common in some contexts.
Compound of 栗鼠 (risu, 'squirrel') and 擬き (modoki, 'pseudo-'), literally 'pseudo-squirrel', referring to the animal's squirrel-like appearance.