In recent years, the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula, has exhibited accelerated island colonization and continental range expansion, coinciding with the warmest average temperatures on record over the past decade. In 2023, we reported its arrival in the Czech Republic. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we aim to evaluate the potential of this species as a model system for studying patterns and processes of range expansion under accelerating climate change. Specifically, we will reassess its evolutionary history to quantify the extent of standing genetic variation available for selection; characterize spatial patterns of adaptive variation linked to climatic variables across its continental range; monitor the expansion wave in the Czech Republic and its impact on the local shrew community; and finally, investigate hostsymbiont interactions at the wave front. The greater white-toothed shrew promises to be an emerging model system for monitoring and understanding species response to global climate change.
