Use the identification chart below to identify the remains of a shrew that may be found within an owl pellet. Look at the shape and size of the skull, teeth, limbs, pelvis and other body parts that you may find in an owl pellet to identify the prey animal.

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.

Photos of the skull and jaw bones of a Wood Mouse, House Mouse, Field Vole, Common Shrew, Brown Rat, Bank Vole and Pygmy Shrew – the main prey of wild Barn Owls in the UK. Sometimes owl pellet contents may include small birds, moles, bats or frogs – but these are quite rare.

Nov 15, 2024 · These mammals have small cylindrical bodies with elongated heads, short limbs with five toes on each foot, and clawed digits. They have a long, flexible muzzle with whiskers to sense their surroundings. Their bodies are covered in short, dense fur that ranges from gray to black or brown in color.

Apr 28, 2020 · The hero shrew’s rigid backbone is among the weirdest mammal spines, its incredible strength aided by fortified vertebrae bones.

Oct 9, 2023 · Some small mammals are only present on certain islands such as the lesser white-toothed shrew and the common vole; harvest mouse bones are rarely found in pellets and are incredibly fragile.

Jun 19, 2020 · Shrews are notable for their voracious appetites, frenetically rapid foraging behaviour, short lifespans (typically less than 1.5 years), formidable pointed teeth and flexible snouts. The skull is robust, vaguely cylindrical and with fused sutures.

The hero shrew (Scutisorex somereni), also known as the armored shrew, [2] is a large shrew native to the Congo Basin of Africa. Its features are typical of a white-toothed shrew − short legs, slender snout, dense fur − except for a highly unusual spinal column.

Apr 29, 2020 · Shrews and hedgehogs are related but hero shrews have unusual and strong vertebral column. According to a study, a quarter-pound shrew can carry a fully grown man thanks to its evolved...

May 21, 2015 · At only a few inches long and with no distinguishing external physical features to speak of, Scutisorex somereni, better known as the Hero or Armoured Shrew, is seemingly an unremarkable creature. That is, until you accidentally step on one. You see, the Hero shrew can comfortably survive being stood on by a typical adult human without any injury.