Home › Mammalia › Soricidae › Least Shrew (Sorex minutissimus)
SPECIES PROFILE
Least Shrew (Sorex minutissimus)
Sorex
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Northern Europe & Asia
DIET
Insectivorous
HABITAT
Damp woodland, tundra, bogs
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Eulipotyphla
FAMILY
Soricidae
GENUS
Sorex
📋 Description
SIZE
3-5 cm body, 1-3 g
COLORATION
Dark brown, pale underside
ADAPTATIONS
Tiny size, venomous saliva, constant feeding
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Damp woodland, tundra, bogs
DIET
Insectivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Northern Europe & Asia
REPRODUCTION
4-8 young, multiple litters per year
DIET DETAILS
Insects, spiders, small invertebrates
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Habitat loss
💡 Interesting Facts
1
At 1–3 grams, the least shrew is one of the smallest mammals alive. Its heart beats over 1,000 times per minute and it must eat more than its own body weight every single day just to survive. It uses venomous saliva to paralyse prey and communicates with high-pitched squeaks almost inaudible to humans.
2
It can squeeze through tunnels made by earthworms and is rarely seen without live-trapping.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Cairngorms Scotland UK
Lapland Finland
Siberia Russia
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Very hard to see; use live traps or check mossy runs in damp woodland.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Year-round (day & night)
