Node: Up and Running

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Node: Up and Running is a common tree shrew (Tupaia glis). These arboreal mammals are found in the southern parts of Southeast Asia. Common tree shrews live in forests, though they are also found in orchards and gardens. They are good climbers and can jump up to two feet between trees. They are active during the day, feeding on plants, seeds, and fruit, as well as ants, spiders, and small lizards.

Common tree shrews are 6–8 inches long, with a thick bushy tail as long as their bodies. They have pointed snouts and five-toed clawed feet. Their fur is black, gray, or reddish, with white on the belly. The genus name Tupaia comes from the Malay for “squirrel,” which the creatures somewhat resemble. Tree shrews were also thought for some time to be closely related to the primates, but they now have their own order, Scandentia.

Common tree shrews are sexually mature at a few months old, and they mate monogamously. The male constructs two separate nests—one for the parents and one for the young. Parental care is scant; the female visits the offspring to nurse them for a few minutes every two days.

The cover image is from Lydekker’s Natural History. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSansMonoCondensed.