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Eurasian Least Shrew

Pangolins, Treeshrews, Shrews & Gymnures

Sorex minutissimus

Basic stats

Habitat

Variable: forests, bare mountain ranges and wetlands; often in buildings in winter

Range

From Lapland across Russia to the Pacific including Hokkaido; southernmost in central Kazakhstan, central Mongolia and northeast China

Size

Head and body about 4cm; tail about 2.5cm

Weight

1.5–4g

The Eurasian least shrew is the second smallest member of the shrew family after the Etruscan shrew. It reaches only about 4 centimetres in head-and-body length with a tail of about 2.5 centimetres and weighs 1.5–4 grams. Depending on the season the fur on the upper side is reddish-brown or grey-brown, with a marked boundary to the light grey underside. The tail is only sparsely haired. Not all of the described subspecies are generally accepted. (German Wikipedia, general species account)

The main range extends from Lapland across Russia to the Pacific coast, including the Japanese island of Hokkaido, with scattered finds in other parts of Norway and Sweden. The southernmost occurrences are in central Kazakhstan, central Mongolia and northeast China. The species is variable in habitat, living for example in forests, on bare mountain ranges and in wetlands, and in winter it is often found in buildings. (German Wikipedia, general species account)

Quick answers

What habitat does the Eurasian Least Shrew live in?
Variable: forests, bare mountain ranges and wetlands; often in buildings in winter
Where is the Eurasian Least Shrew found?
From Lapland across Russia to the Pacific including Hokkaido; southernmost in central Kazakhstan, central Mongolia and northeast China
How big is the Eurasian Least Shrew?
Head and body about 4cm; tail about 2.5cm
How much does the Eurasian Least Shrew weigh?
1.5–4g
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