Etruscan shrew
Suncus etruscus
![[Translate to English:] Kleine graubraune Etruskerspitzmaus sitzt auf einem Stück Ast](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/f/csm_etruskerspitzmaus-tierpark-hellabrunn-tierlexikon-europa_d53383fb58.jpg)
- Family
- Shrews (Soricidae)
- Habitat
- Open vegetation in the Mediterranean region, gardens and agricultural land
World’s smallest mammal
The Etruscan shrew is the smallest ground-dwelling mammal in the world: it’s about the size of a 1 euro coin! With up to 1,300 heartbeats and 900 breaths per minute, it has an extremely high metabolic rate. This means it must eat up to 2 times its body weight in food every day to survive. The Etruscan shrew feeds on invertebrates, mainly insects.
Etruscan shrews are insectivores, making them more closely related to moles than to mice.
Distribution
