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Shrews may grow bigger snouts in winter to cope with cold air, scientists say

Study of long-clawed shrew skulls from Japan shows that while skulls get smaller in winter, snouts elongate Humans turn to heated blankets and fluffy socks to cope with winter, but long-clawed shrews have a very different adaptation: they increase the size of their snouts. Researchers have previously discovered that certain small mammals, including the common shrew and European mole , reversibly shrink their body mass, skull size and brain mass in winter, with regrowth seen in the spring – a strategy that has been named Dehnel’s phenomenon. Continue reading...

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Study of long-clawed shrew skulls from Japan shows that while skulls get smaller in winter, snouts elongate Humans turn to heated blankets and fluffy socks to cope with winter, but long-clawed shrews have a very different adaptation: they increase the size of their snouts. Researchers have previously discovered that certain small mammals, including the common shrew and European mole , reversibly shrink their body mass, skull size and brain mass in winter, with regrowth seen in the spring – a strategy that has been named Dehnel’s phenomenon. Continue reading...

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According to The Guardian’s source item, Shrews may grow bigger snouts in winter to cope with cold air, scientists say, Study of long-clawed shrew skulls from Japan shows that while skulls get smaller in winter, snouts elongate Humans turn to heated blankets and fluffy socks to cope with winter, but long-clawed shrews have a very different adaptation: they increase the size of their snouts. Researchers have previously discovered that certain small mammals, including the common shrew and European mole , reversibly shrink their body mass, skull size and brain mass in winter, with regrowth seen in the spring – a strategy that has been named Dehnel’s phenomenon. Continue reading…

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The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-08-18T23:01:02+00:00.

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Primary source: Shrews may grow bigger snouts in winter to cope with cold air, scientists say via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.

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