Collins P M, Tsang W N, Lofts B
Biol Reprod. 1982 Feb;26(1):169-82. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod26.1.169.
The reproductive anatomy of the male tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) was examined and compared with other Tupaiidae. The testes are located prepenially in a pigmented scrotum which is fused to the base of a pendulous penis. The terminal portion of the vas deferens is differentiated into an ampullary gland and joins the duct of the seminal vesicle to form a short ejaculatory duct. The prostate is a compact bilateral body drained by a main collecting duct. In the aggregate, these features indicate that the reproductive system in Tupaia is primate in character. Testicular function in tree shrews is affected by both social and seasonal factors. When males were housed communally, the majority exhibited testicular degeneration accompanied by a loss in the weight and fructose content of the seminal vesicles and in pigmentation of the scrotum. These changes may be due to the presence of dominant conspecifics since animals kept in isolation undergo normal sexual development. Animals captured throughout the year and isolated show seasonal fluctuations in androgenic and spermatogenic function. Reproductive capacity is maximal during the winter and minimal during the summer. Local environmental factors appear to regulate reproductive function so that the greatest number of births occur during the dry season.
对雄性树鼩（笔尾树鼩）的生殖解剖结构进行了检查，并与其他树鼩科动物进行了比较。睾丸位于阴茎前，位于一个色素沉着的阴囊内，该阴囊与悬垂阴茎的基部相连。输精管的末端分化为壶腹腺，并与精囊的导管相连形成一条短的射精管。前列腺是一个紧密的双侧器官，由一条主要的集合管引流。总体而言，这些特征表明树鼩的生殖系统具有灵长类动物的特征。树鼩的睾丸功能受社会和季节因素的影响。当雄性树鼩群居时，大多数会出现睾丸退化，同时伴随着精囊重量和果糖含量的下降以及阴囊色素沉着的减少。这些变化可能是由于优势同种动物的存在，因为隔离饲养的动物会经历正常的性发育。全年捕获并隔离的动物显示出雄激素和生精功能的季节性波动。生殖能力在冬季最大，在夏季最小。当地环境因素似乎调节生殖功能，以便在旱季发生最多数量的分娩。
