Snowtunnel Shrew

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Snowtunnel Shrew
(Spherosorex glaciperfossor)
Main image of Snowtunnel Shrew
Species is extant.
Information
CreatorDisgustedorite Other
Week/Generation26/165
HabitatVivus Tundra, Vivus Polar Scrub, Vivus Polar Woodland
Size13 cm long
Primary MobilityUnknown
SupportEndoskeleton (Bone)
DietHerbivore (Pioneeroots, Marbleflora, Cryostalks, Cryobowls, Tepoflora, Tepoguin, Slumbering Kingrush, Strangleroot, Aloeberabub, Fibrillius, Snow Windbulb)
RespirationActive (Lungs)
ThermoregulationEndotherm (Fur)
ReproductionSexual (male and female, live birth, pouch and milk)
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Superclass
Clade
Class
Subclass
Superorder
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Carpozoa
Spondylozoa
Anisoscelida
Pentapodes
Soricia (info)
Chaetotheria
Tamia (info)
Neotheria
Geminatisoricidae
Spherosorex
Spherosorex glaciperfossor
Ancestor:Descendants:

The snowtunnel shrew split from its ancestor. It is named for its habit of burrowing under the snow, which allows it to forage over the long polar winter. This allows it to live in the tundra, which its ancestor was absent from. It is pure white for most of the year, but turns black in the short polar summer. Its fur is so long that its display tufts, while still technically there, are completely hidden. When exposed above ground in the summer, it can still scramble about wildly to evade predators.

The snowtunnel shrew is more social than its ancestor, a consequence of tunneling in snow for food; encountering others of its kind is simply unavoidable, so it tolerates them. It breeds up to 4 times a year and has 5-12 joeys at a time. Its offspring are born helpless, living off of milk in their mother's pouch for the first few weeks of their lives.