Described as Tupaia ferruginea Raffles (1821), from Bencoolen, Sumatra. Considered a subspecies of T. glis by Lyon (1913). This taxon generally remains in synonymy with T. glis (Chasen 1940, Corbet and Hill 1992, Helgen 2005, Honacki et al. 1982, Wilson 1993). T. ferruginea is now recognised as a distinct species restricted to Sumatra and Tanahbala (Sargis et al. 2013, Sargis et al. 2014).

As this is a recently resurrected species there is little information about the distribution, population and threats to this species, therefore it is listed as Data Deficient.

Is found on the island of Sumatra and the Batu island of Tanahbala (Sargis et al. 2013, Sargis et al. 2014).

Information is not available on population size and trends for this species.

The habitat requirements and ecology of this species on Java are not known. However, when it was previously synonymised with T. glis, the assessment described it elsewhere as being found in primary dipterocarp forest, but being tolerant to some degree of habitat modification, and that it was recorded from secondary forest, plantations, fruit orchards and trees near housing areas (Parr 2003, K. H. Han pers. comm. 2008).

The major threat to this species is severe deforestation due to conversion for agriculture and plantations, and commercial logging, although the species can adapt to a degree of habitat modification. There has been significant loss of primary forest cover across Indonesia between 2000 and 2012 (Margono et al. 2014).

It is not known if this species is found within any protected areas.