shrew

(Newser) - Scientists have identified a virus in China that appears to have spread from animals to dozens of humans—a "zoonotic" spread—though they're urging that there's "no need to panic." Citing a study by researchers in China, Singapore, and Australia published last week in the...

(Newser) - Shrews have a bonkers and heretofore undiscovered ability that Gizmodo states sounds like "some cruel, recurring witch's curse" but that scientists say is most likely a survival mechanism. According to a study published Monday in Current Biology , the wild common shrew shrinks its skull—by up to 20%—...

(Newser) - The Malaysian pentailed shrew drinks enough booze, weight for weight, to kill a human with a similar habit—prompting scientists to study the creature for clues to our own alcoholic thirst. Pentails, which share a common ancestor with primates, knock back the equivalent of nine glasses of wine every night...