The hero shrew (Scutisorex somereni), also known as the armored shrew, [2] is a large shrew native to the Congo Basin of Africa. Its features are typical of a white-toothed shrew − short legs, slender snout, dense fur − except for a highly unusual spinal column.

Apr 30, 2020 · Conspicuously absent from the long list of animals that have inspired pop culture superheroes are shrews—small, mole-like mammals that love to eat insects. But perhaps these demure little...

Apr 28, 2020 · Dense vertebrae add strength to the little mammal’s unyielding spine. A hero shrew (Scutisorex), like this one found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is tiny but mighty thanks to its...

The Hero shrew (Scutisorex somereni) is a large mammal native to the Congo Basin of Africa. It has corrugated interlocking vertebrae that are unique among mammals except for its sister species, Thor's hero shrew.

Apr 28, 2020 · Hero shrews may be small mammals that look like rodents, but they’re strong, mighty and live up to their name on the inside. Their interlocking spine is unlike anything researchers have ever ...

"The hero shrew is a large gray shrew with a thick woolly fur (Kingdon 85)." The head and body lengths range from 120 to 150 mm, and the tail length can vary from 68 to 95 mm. The weight is also variable between 30 to 115 g.

Apr 28, 2020 · In 2019, scientists led by Stephanie Smith, a mammologist and postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum of Natural History, in Chicago, Illinois, took sophisticated x-rays of hero shrews. The...

Is there really a shrew that can survive being stood on by a 70kg human for five minutes? Nick Baker investigates

May 21, 2015 · At only a few inches long and with no distinguishing external physical features to speak of, Scutisorex somereni, better known as the Hero or Armoured Shrew, is seemingly an unremarkable creature. That is, until you accidentally step on one.

Jan 1, 2022 · Meet the hero shrew (Scutisorex somereni), a molelike creature that owes its near-mythological status to a remarkable spine, thickened by extensions of bone that interlock like fingers. The structure was thought to be unique among mammals—until now.