Newly published research from UNC Greensboro biology professor Dr. Bryan McLean and colleagues shows that the masked shrew, a small, mole-like mammal found in the Appalachian Mountains, shrinks its body and braincase to conserve energy during winter months.
Newly published research from UNC Greensboro biology professor Dr. Bryan McLean and colleagues shows that the masked shrew, a small, mole-like mammal found in the Appalachian Mountains, shrinks its body and braincase to conserve energy during winter months.
The study, published in the May 2025 issue of The American Naturalist, found that the masked shrew (Sorex cinereus) reduces its body mass by 13 percent in the colder months; the creature then grows larger in spring when conditions improve. In addition to a shrinking body, the team also found seasonal changes in the height of the creature’s braincase (the portion of the skull that houses and protects the brain) and the length of the femur.
“Shrinking the body and its parts is in fact a clever survival strategy,” says McLean. “And it’s one that’s important for us to understand as mammals face a constantly changing planet.”
Read more at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Image: Dr. Bryan McLean and undergraduate Leo Ivey in the biology department use UNCG's Micro-CT scanner to image masked shrews, a small insectivorous mammal from western North Carolina and widespread in northern North America. (Credit: Sean Norona, UNCG Photographer)
