Shrew - description, habitat, lifestyle

Many animals are somewhat reminiscent of other species. The same remark applies to a shrew very similar to a field mouse. And whoever is not familiar with the appearance of this family of shrews, when meeting with a shrew, will be somewhat discouraged: like a mouse, but very unusual, with an elongated muzzle that looks very much like a proboscis, and its tail is very long, sometimes more than a small body.

The appearance of the animal

A shrew is an ordinary animal, very small. Its dimensions do not exceed 10 cm, weight - from 4 to 17 grams. But the hind legs are large, the length of the foot is from 1 to 1.5 cm.

The muzzle is elongated, gradually tapering to the nose. Eyes small and round, teeth white. The tail can reach over 7 cm, usually either completely bald, or may have several rare short hairs.

The coat is velvety. The color in the upper part is always different in that it is darker: dark or black-brown, underneath the shades are lighter. In young individuals, the color is two-tone, with a clearly defined border: the back is brown, the abdomen is gray. Shrews already overwintered have reddish spots on their sides.

Varieties

Scientists decided to divide these digging representatives into such subspecies, and now the following shrews exist:

1. Ordinary. They are more abundant than others, occupying the northern part of Europe, where the climate is temperate. They live not only in mixed and deciduous forests, but also in undergrowths, in moist thickets of grass, in shrubs, where the sun rarely penetrates. Often settle in inhabited dwellings of people, especially in places littered with plant debris.
2. Giant. It is considered a rare species. The body length reaches 10 cm, weighs over 14 g. The muzzle has the shape of a cone, on which long silvery vibrassas clearly show through. She chooses a place to live in coniferous and deciduous forests, on the slopes of hills or in valleys. It is more common in the Far East, in the Primorsky Territory, in China and Korea. Very voracious - eats 2.5 times more than weighs per day. But for her this is not a problem due to the fact that the length of the intestine in relation to the length of the body is very large. Moreover, he also prefers earthworms and nodules as feed, other species do not recognize this food. But with less appetite, it eats invertebrates and the meat of other rodents, unlike its counterparts. Reproduction occurs once a year, very rarely twice - if the weather and conditions are favorable. More active compared to other shrews, especially at night. Scientists explain this behavior by the fact that it feeds on earthworms, looking for a humus layer, the biomass of which is represented by worms, and such food does not differ in nutritional value. Strong small legs are able to dig the ground well, so a giant shrew can quickly hide in the soil, even if the surface is compacted. The whole process is accelerated: the animal digs with its front paws, and hiding in half, actively throws the ground with its hind legs.
3. Small. It lives throughout Europe, because it is otherwise called European. But also its habitat is Siberia, the Far East, Chukotka, and Kyrgyzstan. Not more than 6 cm in length of her body. The tail is also very long, but covered with thick and long hair. The overall color is light reddish or brown.
4. Tiny This is the smallest type of shrew: the size does not exceed 5 cm, weight 4 g. Her eyes and ears are so small that it is difficult to notice them under the thick fur. And the tail, unlike other subspecies, is not so long. The coat on the body is short and velvety; in summer, the color becomes much darker.Habitats are forest-tundra, forest zones and marginal areas of marshland. They live in vast territories, ranging from Sakhalin to the Scandinavian Peninsula. She must constantly, every two hours, eat, otherwise she will face death. It is almost impossible to notice this crumb in an open area, because it moves in dense grass or under fallen leaves almost silently. And in the winter it can appear on the surface if it cannot find insects in the soil because of frozen ground. Many lovers feast on tiny shrews bypass them, as they smell by no means appetizing.
5. Arctic. A resident of Siberia and North America, especially prefers to live in the tundra. In winter, the coat is very thick, dense and light; in summer, it is rare and nondescript. But constantly the color has three different shades of brown.
6. Alpine. Due to its small number, it is included in the Ukrainian Red Book, since it mainly lives in the Carpathians. Its main difference is that it has the longest tail: the length reaches an average of 7.5 cm. The fur on the back is very dark, has a brown tint, the abdomen is much lighter.

Lifestyle & Nutrition

These animals live for about two years, but their lifestyle is very active, they move very quickly, and since they metabolize quickly, shrews need constant food intake. Because of this, their sleep lasts no more than 10 - 15 minutes, so they can rest 80 times a day.

They live in minks, but not in those that they dug themselves, but use the dwellings of other small animals or simply settle on a bed of grass, fallen leaves. The animal is very careful, and its most active period begins just before sunset and at night. But even in the afternoon, the shrew rushes along the laid winding paths-walks, and nimble tenacious paws and proboscis successfully help in this. Sometimes she uses the moves made by moles or mice.

This animal has poor eyesight, so good sense of touch and smell come to the rescue. And in the dark, such a convenient natural gift as echolocation helps to navigate. So, with the help of impulses, the shrew has an idea of ​​the world and can find food. Unlike mice, these are insectivorous animals, and most often food for them is in the upper soil layer. The diet consists of various beetles, slugs. Once in the garden, the animal can destroy a large number of pests of cultivated plants - the bear and leaf beetle, caterpillars and weevils, spiders, etc. He also eats bird droppings and carrion, snails and millipedes, plant seeds.

During the meal, the shrew stands on all paws. However, sometimes it is necessary to keep the prey, then this is done with the front paws. To find something tasty, it can climb a tree, especially silkworm eggs attract it. If there is a competitor for food, even larger, the shrew is not afraid to attack. The animal eats small animals almost completely, leaving the skin and bones.

Reproduction of offspring

Pregnancy lasts up to 4 weeks, and while the cubs are gone, active preparation for the postpartum period is ongoing. The expectant mother builds a nest, finding a safe place in the crevices of stones or among the roots of trees, in tall grass. Building materials such as leaves and moss are used.

Children are born 3 to 9 per litter. They are very helpless, blind and naked. For three weeks, the mother feeds them only with breast milk. After two weeks, they begin to become covered with hair and see. And after 120 - 160 can reproduce offspring.

Video: shrew (Sorex)