Eurasian pygmy shrew
Encyclopedia
The Eurasian Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus), often known simply as the Pygmy Shrew, is a widespread shrew
of northern Eurasia
. It is the only shrew native to Ireland
.
Active throughout the day and night, the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew lives in undergrowth and leaf litter and lives off small insects and invertebrates. It has an average weight of 4 grams and has one of the highest metabolic rates of any animal, meaning it must eat at regular intervals — every two hours or so.
The breeding season lasts from April through to August. Females usually produce between two and eight young per litter and care for the young in an underground nest. Since the gestation period is just over three weeks, they can have up to five litters in one year, though the life span of a Pygmy Shrew is a little over 15 months.
In April 2008, the Greater White-toothed Shrew
was discovered in Ireland. While the introduction of the species will possibly sustain threatened birds of prey, such as the Barn Owl
, the nonnative
mammal could threaten some of the smaller native species, such as the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew.
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
of northern Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. It is the only shrew native to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Active throughout the day and night, the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew lives in undergrowth and leaf litter and lives off small insects and invertebrates. It has an average weight of 4 grams and has one of the highest metabolic rates of any animal, meaning it must eat at regular intervals — every two hours or so.
The breeding season lasts from April through to August. Females usually produce between two and eight young per litter and care for the young in an underground nest. Since the gestation period is just over three weeks, they can have up to five litters in one year, though the life span of a Pygmy Shrew is a little over 15 months.
In April 2008, the Greater White-toothed Shrew
Greater white-toothed shrew
The Greater White-toothed Shrew is a small insectivorous mammal. found in Europe and North Africa, weighing about 11-14 grams...
was discovered in Ireland. While the introduction of the species will possibly sustain threatened birds of prey, such as the Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
, the nonnative
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
mammal could threaten some of the smaller native species, such as the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew.