About Common Shrews - Common Shrew Facts and Information

The Common Shrew (Sorex Araneus) is one of the most common animals found in the UK and it is widespread across the country. 

Coming with a body weight of only 5-10 grams, the Common Shrew is a small mammal with dense, velvety fur that’s dark brown on the back and grey on the underside. (It's slightly larger than the Pygmy Shrew!) Arguably its most recognisable feature, it has a long, distinctively pointy nose that is used for foraging food. Its small, round eyes are mainly used for sensing movement and they have very small ears that are hidden in their dense fur with a tail only half the length of its body. (Pygmy Shrew tails are much longer!)

Although not aggressive to humans, they are very territorial and aggressive to each other. Especially when protecting their feeding grounds and throughout the breeding season. 

This mammal can be seen at most points of the day, as they are active day and night. They follow a pattern of short bursts across 24 hours and are mainly active at dawn and dusk. 

To their prey, Common Shrews are venomous. Glands in their mouth produce a venom that can stun or kill their prey. Don’t worry, it’s not harmful to humans!

Unlike many other mammals, Shrews don’t hibernate. They are active all year round, although they may be less active during the colder months. During these months, they rely on leaf litter, burrows or dense vegetation to shelter in. 

Compared to other mammals, they do like a relatively short lifespan, only living for around 1-2 years. Being so small they are vulnerable to a lot of predators as well as harsh weather conditions. 

In the UK, the Common Shrew is not endangered, but it is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

What do Common Shrews Eat?

To survive, Common Shrews have to eat a lot! We’re talking around 90% of their body weight every day. They are an insectivorous mammal.

Day to day, their diet consists of insects and insect larvae, earthworms, they even eat slugs and snails. They may occasionally consume some plant matter - but that is only when they really have to!

Using their sharp teeth and venomous saliva, they subdue their prey and then eat it. With such poor eyesight, they rely on their strong sense of smell from their long pointed snout and touch to locate food to eat. 

Common Shrew Habitat

A highly adaptable creature, the Common Shrew is found across multiple habitats up and down the UK. Typically, areas with dense vegetation and foraging spots are perfect. 

Space like woodlands are preferred - with cover, vegetation and plenty of insects - these areas give them everything they need. Grassland, meadows and hedgerows are also chosen as places to live. 

If in your garden you have an overgrown area, thick grass or even a compost heap, you may find that some Shrews call this home. The overgrown areas bring in insects, which are their main source of food. Attract Shrews into your garden by leaving these round patches of grass and encouraging plenty of insects.

The Breeding Season

For Shrews, breeding season lasts from April to September. The warmer weather means there’s more space for nesting and plenty of food available. 

Outside of the breeding season, Shrews are pretty solitary animals. During this time, they become more active and roam around in search of mates. Males will fight for access to females and are very protective of their territory. During this time, you may hear the high pitched squeaks they let out when fighting.

Across the season, males will mate with multiple females, and females may even mate with multiple males so they are a polyamourous species. 

The gestation period is short, last for around 24 days and the female will usually have a litter of 4-10. The female Shrew will build a small nest made of leaves, crass and moss, hidden in dense vegetation, under logs or in burrows for protection. 

The young are altricial - this means they are blind, hairless and all round helpless. They only weight around 1 gram at birth!

For 3 to 4 weeks, it is the Mother's job to raise the young. She will feed her young on milk during this time so that they grow rapidly - their fur only takes a few days to develop. 

After 10 days, the young can move around the nest and after a month they are ready to lead lives of their own. Females can have three or four litters in one season!

Living such short lives, the young reach sexual maturity at around 6-8 weeks. This is because they must reproduce quickly in order for the population to continue thriving. 

Predators & Threats

Given their small size and need for constant foraging, Shrews are more at risk from threats that other mammals might be. 

Especially vulnerable to birds of prey, Owls and Kestrels significantly impact these animals. They have really sharp eyesight, perfect for spotting small Shrews and hunt at dusk and dawn - making them perfect for catching these small mammals. Foxes, weasels and badgers also post a threat, they sniff them out in the undergrowth and dig them out of their nests. 

Unfortunately, domestic cats and feral cats are also a problem, not so much for eating them, but instead hunting them for sport. 

In the wild, Shrews have a really high energy requirement and this can become hard for them. They need to eat all of the time, but sometimes, that food isn’t available which can lead them to become exhausted and possibly starve. 

No hibernation means facing really tough weather conditions. Cold winters and heavy snow have a huge impact on shelter and food, and many of them don’t make it through the winter months.

Five Facts about Common Shrews

1. Common Shrews are larger than pygmy shrews, with the former having a body length of 6-8 cm and a tail about two-thirds the length of their body, while pygmy shrews are about half the length and have longer tails proportionally.

2. Common Shrews have a high metabolism and feed on insect larvae, earthworms, slugs, and other invertebrates. They hunt day and night using their keen sense of smell and high-pitched squeaks to locate prey.

3. The breeding season for common shrews lasts from April to September, producing three or four litters per season. The gestation period is around 21-24 days, with 4-10 young in each litter.

4. Common Shrews have a long pointed snout, tiny eyes, very small ears, and a dark brown body with chestnut coloured sides and a pale underside. Their more domed head and large nose help distinguish them from pygmy shrews.

5. Both common and pygmy Shrews are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it illegal to harm them or destroy their habitats, which typically include dense vegetation and thick grass.