Shrews

The North American Pygmy Shrew may be the smallest mammal in the world. It weighs just 1.2-2.7 grams. Its body is about the size of a person’s thumbnail. (Some people consider the bumblebee bat to be the smallest; it weighs about 2 grams.) The biggest shrews are about 1 foot (30 cm) long.

Diet

Shrew are carnivores (meat-eaters). They need to eat their own weight in food every day! These ferocious mammals will attack and kill animals that are bigger than they are. They eat insects, worms, snails, slugs, and other small animals (including other shrews). Several species of shrews (including the Short-tailed shrew) are venomous and have a poisonous bite.