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While humans have 5lumbar vertebrae, the hero shrew possesses
11, which have interlocking
spines on their sides and lower surfaces. These spines mesh with
the projections on the vertebrae
behind and in front, creating a strong, yet flexible structure.
The spine is so elaborate that it accounts
for 4% of the shrew's body weight. In other small mammals the
spine only accounts for 0.51.6% of
the overall mass. The modifications to this small animal's body
are not limited to the spine. The ribs
are much thicker than those of similarly sized mammals and the
spinal muscles have undergone
some radical changes. The transversemusclesare reduced, while
the muscles that extend and flex
the spine are well developed, which results in the shrew's
peculiar gait with the spine flexing in a
snake-like manner. The hero shrew feeds oninsects,snails, worms
and smalllizards.
The hero shrew's unique anatomy allows it to bear the weight of
a 160 lb (73 kg)humanwithout
harm,[4]
and this incredible resistance leads to the shrew being used as
atalismanby the
localMangbetu peopleof theCongo, believing that wearing part of
the shrew will
provideinvincibility.[5]
Adaptive significance[edit]
Various hypotheses exist to explain the unusual skeleton of the
hero shrew. It may simply be that the
robust spine and associated posture keeps the animals body clear
of wet ground in swampy
habitats, or that the trait evolved as the consequence of some
unrelated adaptive factor, as in
thespandrels of St Marcohypothesis.[5]
Alternatively, Scutisorexmay use their exceptional spines to
lever logs or dead palm leaves, granting
access to the invertebrate prey such asearthworms(Oligochaeta).
Though the behaviour has not
been directly observed, when local people are collecting beetle
larvae in a similar fashion, they often
encounter the shrews.[5]
References[edit]
1. ^Hutterer, R. (2005)."Order Soricomorpha". In Wilson, D. E.;
Reeder, D.
M.Mammal Species of the World(3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University
Press.
p. 257.ISBN978-0-8018-8221-0.OCLC62265494.
2. ^Kerbis Peterhans, J. (2008).Scutisorex somereni. In: IUCN
2012. IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2.
3. ^Piper, Ross(2007), Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of
Curious and
Unusual Animals,Greenwood PressISBN 0313339228.
4. ^Allen, JA.[clarification needed]
(1917). "The skeletal characters ofScutisorex
somereni". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History28:
769784.
5. ^abcStanley, W. T.; Robbins, L. W.; Malekani, J. M.;
Mbalitini, S. G.; Migurimu, D.
A.; Mukinzi, J. C.; Hulselmans, J.; Prevot, V. et al. (2013). "A
new hero emerges:
Another exceptional mammalian spine and its potential
adaptive
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