Eurasian pygmy shrew

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Eurasian pygmy shrew Temporal range: Early Middle Pleistocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Eurasian pygmy shrew in the wild in Sheffield, England
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Soricidae
Genus:	Sorex
Species:	S. minutus
Binomial name
Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766
Eurasian pygmy shrew range

The Eurasian pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus), often known simply as the pygmy shrew, is a widespread shrew of the northern Palearctic.

Description

The Eurasian pygmy shrew measures about 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, plus a 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long tail; it has an average weight of 4 g (0.14 oz). The very dense and shiny fur on its back is blackish with shades ranging from reddish to purplish; the belly, throat, jaw, periocular area and lower part of the tail are contrasted whitish. The muzzle and legs are covered with sparse white hair, while the skin is flesh coloured. The ears are small and half hidden by fur, they are dark flesh colored and shaped like a semicircle. The head is larger in proportion to the body than in other shrews.^{[citation needed]}

Behaviour and ecology

The Eurasian pygmy shrew is a solitary mammal, active throughout the day and night and inhabiting areas of dense vegetation across a broad elevation range. It lives of seeds, small insects and other invertebrates. It uses the burrows or tunnels of other rodents under tree stumps. It roams on a few hundred square metres and establishes trackways. It has one of the highest metabolic rates of any animal; to maintain homeostasis, it must eat every two hours. Due to this, it eats up to 125% of its body weight, about 4 g (0.14 oz) each day.

References

Content in this edit is translated from the existing Italian Wikipedia article at it:Sorex minutus; see its history for attribution.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sorex minutus.