Etruscan Shrew (The World's Smallest & Hungriest Mammal)

The Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) is also known as the Etruscan pygmy shrew and the white-toothed pygmy shrew. Etruscan shrew belongs to the class of Mammalia, similar to animals like dolphins and humans. The Etruscan shrew is the smallest living mammal. These species are often found in Europe and North Africa up to Malaysia. They are also found in the Maltese islands, situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Although widespread and not threatened overall, they are generally uncommon and are endangered in some countries.

The Etruscan shrew usually inhabits open terrains where grasslands and scrub meet deciduous forests. Etruscan shrews aren’t very good at digging, so they like making their nests in various natural shelters, crevices, and others' uninhabited burrows. If another animal has vacated their burrow, an Etruscan shrew will take advantage of the situation and move in. They frequent rocks, boulders, stone walls, and ruins, darting quickly in and out between them. The Etruscan shrew prefers warm and damp habitats covered with shrubs which is helpful for the shrew to hide from predators.

A unique aspect of Etruscan shrews is their skull size that's the smallest among mammals. The Etruscan shrew has a body length of about 4 centimeters. The body mass of individuals ranges from 1.6 to 2.4 g. They have poor eyesight but they have acute hearing, highly sensitive whiskers, and an amazing sense of smell, indeed, their long tin noses are mobile and can move about quite sinuously.

Being a small animal, it has slender body features with a relatively large head and hind limbs. Their ears are protuberant and large. Their fur color is pale brown on the back and light gray on the stomach. These shrews also have a fast heart beating rate along with a relatively large heart muscle mass.

This species has the highest mass-specific metabolic rate of all mammals. It must eat up to twice its own body weight every day to keep its small body warm. It feeds on various small vertebrates and invertebrates, mostly insects, and can hunt individuals of the same size as itself. It finds its food by smell and touch. It kills its prey with its poisonous bite and eats it immediately, but takes small insects back to its nest. The shrews are more active during the night

The Etruscan shrew is not only the smallest mammal but also one of the fastest and most tactile hunters.

They only eat live food which they catch and they catch between 20 and 30 prey animals a day. This becomes more impressive when one considers that they eat insects (which have wings and are sometimes bigger than the shrew) as well as spiders and myriapods which are armed with terrible stings and venoms. The shrew dines also on amphibians, baby rodents, worms, and larvae.

While The Etruscan shrew may turn out to be fatal for an insect's or animal's body. The shrew venom is not dangerous to humans. However, The Etruscan shrew shrew bites may result in swelling, pain, and body temperature.

They also eat plants like shrubs in damp areas. These small animals are constantly searching to find food throughout their lives to meet their high energy consumption demands.

They protect their territories by making chirping noises and signs of aggressiveness.

The Etruscan shrew has various ways to communicate; when they defend their territories, the shrew makes chirping noises and becomes aggressive towards intruders. When the Etruscan shrew is in torpor, and if suddenly awakened, it starts with its harsh shrieking sounds. in fact, the Etruscan shrew makes such noise only when it's unable to flee those areas.

Etruscan shrews are solitary animals who like living alone. Their mating system is the only way the shrews get to meet each other.

Etruscan shrews mate primarily from March to October, though they can be pregnant at any time of the year. Pairs usually form in the spring and may tolerate each other and their young for some time at the nest. The gestation period is 27–28 days, and they have 2–6 cubs per litter. Cubs are born naked and blind, weighing only 0.2 g. After their eyes open at 14 to 16 days old, they mature quickly. The mother usually moves the young when they are 9 to 10 days old, and if disturbed, she relocates them by leading them with her tail in a train-like formation, with each cub biting the tail of the one in front. The young Etruscan shrews are weaned at 20 days old. By three to four weeks of age, the young are independent and are soon sexually mature.

The largest threat to Etruscan shrews originates from human activities, particularly the destruction of their nesting grounds and habitats as a result of farming. Etruscan shrews are also sensitive to weather changes, such as cold winters and dry periods. Major predators are birds of prey.

#Wildlife #TactileHunters #Grassland