Cryptotis parva
Cryptotis parva
Least Shrews are one of
our smallest mammals,
growing only up to three inches long. They have
grayish-brown or reddish-brown fur, with a white belly.
Their fur becomes lighter in the Summer, and darker in the
Winter. Least Shrews have a very short tail. This animal lives in
forests, or weedy fields. They are active during the day,
but most active at night. Least Shrews have poor
sight and hearing, so they hunt by smell and touch. They dig
through loose soil and leaf
litter for
prey. R. W. Van
Devender Least Shrews eat
earthworms, spiders, snails, slugs, caterpillars,
beetles, insect larvae,
grasshoppers, crickets, centipedes, millipedes, isopods,
small frogs, salamanders, and lizard tails. They sometimes eat
carrion
(dead animals) and small amounts of seeds or
fruits. When eating crickets and
grasshoppers, the shrew will bite off the head and then open
the insect's body, eating only the internal
organs. When attacking larger
animals such as a frog or praying mantis, the Least Shrew
will bite the legs, crippling its prey. Lizards, which are
usually too large for the shrew, get bitten on the tail,
which comes off. The lizard escapes with its life, and the
shrew eats the tail. Least Shrews will invade
a bee hive and eat all the larvae. Sometimes it will then
live in the hive. Copyright 1999, The
Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals Wayne Van
Devender Least Shrews are
social
animals, and often share burrows.
These animals make nests out of leaves or dig burrows which
they line with leaves and grass.
They also will use old burrows and runways of other mammals,
such as voles. Least Shrews will
sometimes share food, and they will also store it for
later.
Least Shrews breed year round and have several litters a year. Up to nine young will be in a litter. They will nurse for about three weeks and be on their own after a month. Both parents help raise the young. Least Shrews communicate with each other using high-pitched sounds.
Least Shrews rarely live more than a year.
Predators of Least Shrews include owls, hawks, Red Fox, Raccoon, Sriped Skunk, and snakes.
One defense used by Least Shrews is their saliva. It has venom in it.
Relationships in Nature:
Relationship to Humans:
Least Shrews are very helpful to people as pest controllers. Since they eat their bodyweight everyday, they destroy many insect and slug pests. You will rarely see a Least Shrew, but if you do, don't pick it up! The venom in Least Shrews' saliva is not fatal for humans, but it will cause pain and swelling for several days.