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Northern Short-tailed Shrew? (Venomous)

Blarina brevicauda

Notes:

Not a rodent. More closely related to moles. Teeth: Where rodents have gnawing incisors that grow throughout life, the shrew have only one set throughout their lifetime and they wear down. Unlike most mammals, some species of shrew are venomous! Shrew venom is not conducted into the wound by fangs, but by grooves in the teeth. The venom contains various compounds, and the contents of the venom glands of the American short-tailed shrew are sufficient to kill 200 mice by intravenous injection. About 10% of a shrew's mass is in its brain, which is the highest brain to body mass ratio of all animals (including humans).

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1 Comment

mauna Kunzah
mauna Kunzah 11 years ago

Cool find.

lauralooowho
Spotted by
lauralooowho

Chesapeake, Virginia, USA

Spotted on Nov 10, 2012
Submitted on Nov 10, 2012

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