Common shrews are opportunistic feeders, according to the University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web. © 2020 WILD SKY MEDIA. Shrews need to constantly eat and rely on their sense of smell and echolocation to find food. Since shrews are capable of eating so much, they eat very frequently throughout the day -- think once every two or three hours or so. The staples of the shrew diet are earthworms, arthropods, spiders, wood lice, snails, slugs, small rodents, worms and a large array of insects including beetles. Without food for just a mere day, they can pass away due to starvation. Domestic felines frequently kill shrews but typically refrain from eating them due to the unpleasant smells their scent glands give off. Some of the different animals that they hunt include spiders, worms, ants, flies, beetles, slugs, and more. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their small size restricts their potential prey to mostly invertebrates. Shrews have extremely rapid metabolic rates. However, they will also eat mice, small birds, snakes and slugs. How Many Pounds of Bamboo Can a Giant Panda Eat Each Day? That means the creature is willing to consume pretty much anything he comes across. Occasional Carrion Consumption. If they are found inside the home, individuals should not corner or trap them as shrews are aggressive and will bite when they feel threatened. Compared with the other major components of the shrew diet, however, consumption of carcasses is not as common. In some instances, shrews also eat carrion, which is essentially … Shrews eat everything from plants, mice, snakes, frogs, pigeons, salamanders, and even other shrews. They will readily eat grasshoppers, wasps, crickets, snails and earthworms. Shrews may be fierce predators, but they’re small, which means they in turn become prey. In some instances, shrews also eat carrion, which is essentially the rotting meat of animals that have died. Photo: U.S. Some of the predators of the common shrew include barn owls, tawny owls, magpies, hawks, jackdaws and snakes. The largest species is the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus) of tropical Asia, which is about 15 cm (6 in) long and weighs around 100 g (4 oz) several are very small, notably the Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), which at about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) and 1.8 g (0.063 oz) is the smallest known living terrestrial mammal. Many mammalian predators, including red foxes, raccoons and cats, will … Shrews need to consume 200 to 300% of their body weight in food each day in order to survive. The Feeding Habits of the Black-Footed Ferret, A List of the Predators of the Gila Monster. All shrews are tiny, most no larger than a mouse. A shrew will starve if it goes without food for more than a few hours. Shape The World. A shrew must eat every 2 to 3 hours to achieve this goal. Empower Her. Shrews will also feed on seeds around bird feeders, eggs in bird houses and all kinds of flowers, fruits, vegetables and plant bulbs. When they consume these prey, they have the possibility of contracting or carrying specific bacteria, parasites, or diseases that may be transmitted to humans through bites. They do not hibernate in the winter because their bodies are too small to store sufficient fat reserves and as they have a short fasting duration. In fact, the little guys are fully capable of eating upwards of two times their full weight in just the span of a single day, BBC Nature reports. Shrews live primarily on insects. Although common shrews consume very high levels of invertebrates and other animal-based foods, they also occasionally eat some plant-based meals -- think conifer seeds, for example. There's no fasting for these little animals. When it comes to worms, terrestrial bugs and many other things, the shrew appetite is pretty persistent. The shrew-eating trout of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Simply put, shrews aren't really that picky when it comes to their dietary preferences. The pests are voracious eaters and feed on a variety of plants, insects, small mammals, and grubs.

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