Mammals · Eulipotyphla · Soricidae

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The greater white-toothed shrew is one of the commonest mammals of western Europe and North Africa, even though it almost always goes unnoticed. It measures some eight centimetres and weighs about as much as two coins. Its metabolism is so fast that it has to eat almost continuously: it alternates short bouts of activity and rest around the clock, with no clear day or night pattern. It feeds on worms, insects, spiders and snails. It is frequent in gardens and stone walls and is a common victim of domestic cats.

Weight

6 g – 14 g

Size

6 cm – 9 cm

Lifespan

2 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandInsectivore Variable activity Solitary Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

13countries 34parks5same family

Fun facts

It has to eat roughly its own body weight every day; a few hours without food can be enough to starve it.
When the young leave the nest they form a caravan: each one bites the base of the tail of the one in front and the mother leads the line, so that the group moves like a train.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Hedgerows, stone walls, gardens, allotments and woodland edges of western Europe and the Maghreb
Sexual maturity: 2.5 months
Gestation / incubation: 29 days
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocidura_russula