The Pygmy Shrew
(Dallóg fraoigh) The pygmy shrew is the only shrew found in Ireland. It is really tiny - it is only half the length of a mouse and weighs less than a 10p coin. It would fit easily on to a tablespoon. It has a thick velvety coat, dark brown on its back, light brown on its side and greyish-white underneath. It has small eyes and its nose is drawn out like a snout. It has a good sense of smell and hearing. It is Ireland's smallest mammal.
The shrew is always hunting. It can't store any food unless it can eat every two to three hours. It eats its own weight in food in twenty four hours. The pygmy shrew lives in fields and woods. It feeds on grasshoppers, spiders, worms, centipedes, snails, beetles and woodlice. It stands on its hind legs and catches flies in flight. When babies are born they are about the size of a pea and they live for about eighteen months.
By Amanda Hyland and Leighann Clark
