Eurasian pygmy shrew
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Eurasian pygmy shrew
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Sorex minutus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
The Eurasian Pygmy Shrew, often shortened to Pygmy Shrew, is a widespread shrew of northern Eurasia. It is the only shrew native to Ireland.
Active throughout the day and night, the pygmy shrew is one of the smallest shrews, living up to sixteen months and never hibernating. It has grey-brown fur and measures around 40 - 60 mm when full grown, but with a hairy tail which may be as long again. It lives in undergrowth and leaf litter.
[edit] References
- Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Sorex minutus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern