The pygmy shrew: the smallest mammal in Britain
October 10th, 2009 | by lucy |
Pygmy Shrews can’t stop eating. Their metabolism is so fast that two hours after a meal they’re starving again. Hibernation is out of the question as they’re too small to store fat reserves, so they have to remain active during the winter, eating ceaselessly to keep warm. They are, in turn, an important part of the diet of Tawny and Barn owls, among other predators. They can live up to 15 months.
The most distinctive feature of a shrew is its long whiskery snout, ideal for probing for food in leaf litter and soil. Pygmy shrews eat insects and other invertebrates like spiders and snails, but earth worms are too large to take on. As you might suppose from its tiny eyes, sight is the shrew’s weakest sense.
A pygmy shrew’s vital statistics
Weight: 2.4-6.1g (which decreases by 28% in winter)
Head-body length: 40-60 mm
Tail: 32-46 mm (one way of distinguishing the Pygmy shrew from the Common shrew is its relatively longer tail)
Pygmy shrews are fairly abundant in Britain, but their tiny size makes them difficult to spot. We’re more likely to hear their sharp piercing squeaks, possibly when two shrews have a confrontation. They are solitary and territorial, living in underground burrows made by other animals.
Interesting Facts about Pygmy Shrews
1. Their teeth are red-tipped from iron deposits, which harden the enamel.
2. Their hearing, smell and touch are sharp enough for the shrew to detect prey 12cm under the soil.
3. Young shrews sometimes engage in “caravanning”. They form chains, each holding on to the tail of the sibling in front, when the mother moves the family to a safer place. This behaviour was once thought to be restricted to the white-toothed shrews.
4. Shrews are common victims of litter louts. Skeletons found in discarded bottles and cans are often those of trapped shrews.
The photograph was taken by minipixel, who rescued the shrew from a cat.
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