# Sorex araneus

**Woodshrew / Vanlig näbbmus / Eurasian Shrew**

## FAQs

- **What is understood by Dehnel's phenomenon in the common shrew?**: Dehnel's phenomenon is a unique morphological adaptation to winter food shortages in the taiga. Before winter, the skull, brain mass, and other internal organs of the shrew shrink significantly (up to 20%), reducing their already enormous basal metabolic rate. In spring, the organs partially regrow.
- **Why does the common shrew need to feed almost continuously?**: Due to their extremely high surface-area-to-volume ratio, they lose body heat quickly, requiring a rapid metabolism for thermoregulation. They must consume up to 150% of their own body weight in insects, worms, and arachnids daily; a few hours without food inevitably lead to starvation.