shrew

Insectivorous mammal of the family Soricidae, order Insectivora, found in the Americas and Eurasia. It is mouselike, but with a long nose and pointed teeth. Its high metabolic rate means that it must eat almost constantly.

The common shrew Sorex araneus is about 7.5 cm/3 in long with a long, supple, pointed snout bearing numerous stiff hairs projecting beyond the lower jaw; its fur is reddish-grey above and greyish beneath. It has glands which secrete a strong, unpleasant odour as a means of defence. It feeds on insects, worms, and often on members of its own kind killed after a fight.

The pigmy shrew Sorex minutus is only about 5 cm/2 in long with iridescent fur. The water shrew Neomys fodiens lives mainly on molluscs, and is essentially aquatic in habit, though only slightly modified for such a life; the feet are fringed with stiff hairs that aid in swimming.