About
A small, insectivorous mammal, the common shrew has tiny eyes and a large nose giving it keen sense of smell. Shrews hectively snuffle through the undergrowth for their prey, which includes earthworms, spiders and insect chrysalises. They can be found in most habitats, but prefer woodland and grassland. Active by day and night, they are very territorial and aggressive for their size and can sometimes be heard fighting, their high-pitched squeaks particularly noticeable during the summer. Adults may only live for a year, just long enough to have three or four litters of around six young.
How to identify
The common shrew has tiny eyes, very small ears and a pointy face with a long nose. It is dark brown above, grey or silver below, and has chestnut-coloured sides. It is larger than the pygmy shrew, but its tail is only half the length of its body (pygmy shrew tails are two-thirds the length of their bodies).
Did you know?
The common shrew is always hungry: it needs to eat 80-90% of its body weight every day to survive. It mainly preys on insects, but will also eat slugs and snails, and will happily tackle earthworms as long as 10cm - bigger than its own body!