356: Shrews

The arc of history is long, but it bends towards shrew. We discuss tasks that require zero cats, supercontinents, venom and cancer research, iron-plated teeth, load-bearing spines, what shrews have in common with a hostile Minecraft mob, and more.

Works Cited:

• “In Vivo Detection of Human TRPV6-Rich Tumors with Anti-Cancer Peptides Derived from Soricidin” - Chris V. Bowen et al., PLoS One, March 2013
• “Deciphering an extreme morphology: bone microarchitecture of the hero shrew backbone (Soricidae: Scutisorex)” - Stephanie M. Smith, Proc R. Soc. B, April 2020
• “Dehnel's phenomenon is not a simple reduction of size: seasonal change in skull shape of the long-clawed shrew (Soricidae, Mammalia)” - Yugo Ikeda et al., Proc R. Soc. B., August 2026
• "Why Do Some Shrews Have Dark Red Teeth?" - John Wible, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
• “Moving Nose to Tail, Shrew 'Conga Line' Shimmies Online” - Laura Geggel, LiveScience, July 2017
• “Acoustic behavior in the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda): Ultrasonic click production in a novel environment” - Margaret E. Gleason, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, July 2023
• “Sorex palustris underwater Sniffing - Vanderbilt University” - Luis Azevedo Rodrigues, YouTube
• “Water Shrew Walks on Water” - MyBackyardBirding, YouTube

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