biology

True's shrew mole

True's shrew mole is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand True's shrew mole rather than just read about it. In short: True's shrew mole (Dymecodon pilirostris) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is endemic to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and is a common species above 1000 meters in grassland, shrubland and forest.

Key takeaways

True's shrew mole belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect True's shrew mole to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of True's shrew mole from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

True's shrew mole (Dymecodon pilirostris) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is endemic to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and is a common species above 1000 meters in grassland, shrubland and forest. Sometimes this species is called the lesser Japanese shrew mole and another species, Urotrichus talpoides, is called the "greater Japanese shrew mole". It is the only species in the genus Dymecodon. It has sometimes been considered belonging to the genus Urotrichus.

Etymology The genus name is the compound of δύο (duo) "two", μήκος (mekos) "size", and όδούς (odous) "tooth", so "two size teeth", because of the alternation in size of the teeth in the lower jaw.

Description D. pilirostris is a mole resembling the Japanese shrew mole, with a head-body length of about 6½ cm covered in thick, 5 mm long, darkbrown fur with a strong greenish metallic lustre, and a tail of about 3½ cm, covered with dark hair of about 7 mm. The palms and soles are covered in darkbrown scales. It differs somewhat from Urotrichus in overall size (smaller) and the relative size of its body parts (such as a relatively longer tail). Its dentition however differs remarkably. The first incisor in the upper jaw is low and broad, the broadest of all teeth in front of the true molars. The second is nearly as broad and comparable in shape. The third incisor and the canine are simple and rounded and about ¼ of the other incisors. The teeth in the lower jaw compare to those in the upper jaw, but the second incisor has an additional conic cusp at its back, there is no third incisor and the canine is minute.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with True's shrew mole

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what True's shrew mole claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to True's shrew mole before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about True's shrew mole ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of True's shrew mole

In research: True's shrew mole appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses True's shrew mole in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: True's shrew mole is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Endemic mammals of Japan, Eulipotyphla stubs, IUCN Red List least concern species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for True's shrew mole outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study True's shrew mole in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what True's shrew mole means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain True's shrew mole out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is True's shrew mole in simple terms?

Why does True's shrew mole matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study True's shrew mole?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on True's shrew mole.