Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole -like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to different families or orders.

A Shrew is a small mammal that is similar in appearance to a mole. They are also quite closely related to moles and hedgehogs . People refer to many different animals as “Shrews,” but researchers recognize members of three Soricidae family as true Shrews.

Mar 13, 2025 · shrew, (family Soricidae), any of more than 350 species of insectivores having a mobile snout that is covered with long sensitive whiskers and overhangs the lower lip. Their large incisor teeth are used like forceps to grab prey; the upper pair is hooked, and the lower pair extends forward.

Nov 15, 2024 · Shrews are tiny, mole-like mammals with long, cylindrical bodies, flexible snouts, short limbs, and clawed digits. Although they may be mistaken for mice or other rodents, they actually belong to the family Soricidae under the order Eulipotyphla.

Shrews, often regarded as some of the most enigmatic and remarkable creatures in the animal kingdom, are small mammals that belong to the family Soricidae. These pint-sized predators may not be as well-known as their larger counterparts, but they possess a host of fascinating characteristics that make them stand out in the wild.

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.

Shrews have sharp, spike-like teeth, not the familiar gnawing front incisor teeth of rodents. Shrews are distributed almost worldwide. Of the major tropical and temperate land masses, only New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand do not have any native shrews.

Shrews do most of their feeding above ground or in tunnels in the leaf litter and other debris at the ground’s surface. They are related to moles, insect-eaters that live deeper in the soil.

The common shrew (Sorex araneus), also known as the Eurasian shrew, is the most common shrew, and one of the most common mammals, throughout Northern Europe, including Great Britain, but excluding Ireland. [3]

shrew, Any of more than 350 species of small insectivores constituting the family Soricidae. About 40% of these species live in Africa, but shrews are also found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Shrews are absent from Australia and most of South America.