The Amazing Shrinking Shrew

Hi there,

Some time ago I came across this article (or one very like it) regarding the winter habits of the common shrew. I encounter them semi-regularly, in various states of being and not-being, so their familiarity can sometimes obscure their weirdness. They are really weird though (they also have a venomous bite and can paralyse a slug).

                                                              Fig 1. Likeness of a shrew

" A new study published Monday in Current Biology reports the skulls of Sorex araneus, the most common shrew species, shrink by up to 20 percent as the cold season approaches. Come spring, their heads return to roughly normal size...

It is not just the skulls that shrink with winter, however. Shrews’ brains appear to get smaller, too—by as much as 30 percent, according to prior dissection research. Moreover, the animals’ other organs also lose mass; even their spines get shorter. Overall, the latest study suggests shrew body mass drops by 18 percent from July to February. Then, in spring, the creatures start to grow until they reach their peak size—83 percent larger than their winter low." 

Bret Stetka for Scientific American 

Full article

I've felt something of a kinship with the winter shrew this past year, as far as the shrinking is concerned (I haven't developed a venomous bite as yet) - so I think it's appropriate to let the shrew lead the way in expanding. Like a magic flannel.  

Much love and Happy New Year!