Armoured shrew (Armored shrew)

Japanese: ヨロイジネズミ(鎧地鼠) - ヨロイジネズミ（英語表記）armoured shrew

A mammal of the insectivorous order, family Sorexidae. A species of shrew with an unusually thick and sturdy spine found in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda in Africa. Its spine is said to be able to withstand the weight of a human, but the adaptive significance of this is unknown. It looks similar to a shrew, but is sturdy and has a unique posture with its shoulders curved like a bow. This posture, combined with its sturdy spine, is thought to have the effect of protecting the heart and other internal organs from external pressure.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

食虫目トガリネズミ科の哺乳類。アフリカのコンゴ民主共和国，ウガンダ，ルワンダの森林地帯に分布する異様に太くがんじょうな背骨をもったジネズミの1種。背骨は人の体重にも耐え得るといわれるが，どのような適応的意味があるのかはわかっていない。外観はジネズミに似るが，がっしりしていて，肩を弓なりに湾曲させた独特の姿勢をしている。この姿勢はがんじょうな背骨とあいまって心臓その他の内臓を外圧から守る効果があるものと考えられる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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