How Big Is a Shrew?

Shrews are short-legged rodents with long pointed noses, small eyes and well developed senses of smell and hearing. Most shrews have short brown fur and tails nearly as long as their bodies. Over 200 species have been recorded.

  1. Common Shrew

    • The common shrew or Sorex araneus weighs about 1/4 oz. and measures around 4 1/2 inches from its nose to its tail tip. It lives mainly in Scandinavia, Britain and Eastern Europe eating insects, worms and spiders.

    North American Least Shrew

    • The least shrew or Cryptotis parva is found south of the Great Lakes and down into Central America but, unlike other shrews, it lives in colonies. It weighs less than 1/4 oz. and averages 3 1/4 inches in total length.

    American Water Shrew

    • Found mainly in Canada and North America, this shrew known as Sorex palustris is related to the common and pygmy shrews. They have a total length between 5 and 6 inches and weigh between 1/4 and 1/2 oz. Their hind feet can be up to 1 inch in length and have stiff hairs which help them swim. This shrew has black fur above and a silvery underside.

    Neomys Fodiens

    • This water shrew is found in most of Europe and central Asia. It has poisonous saliva which it uses to kill small fish, frogs and small mammals. The head and body measure 3 inches while the tail is slightly shorter, making the total length 5 1/2 inches. It weighs around 5/8 oz.

    Pygmy Shrew

    • The pygmy shrew or Sorex minutus weighs around 1/5 oz., measures around 4 inches from nose to tail tip and eats mainly insects, worms and spiders.

    Other Shrews

    • Despite the name, the elephant shrew is not a shrew, but it is actually a distant relative of elephants. They are usually 8 to 12 inches long from nose to tail tip and weigh 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. A new species was spotted in Africa in early 2010 and, though it has been photographed by camera traps, it has not yet been caught. Once identified this will bring the number of known elephant shrew species to 18. The American shrew mole is not a shrew but is the smallest species of mole, weighs 1/2 oz. and has a total length of 2 1/2 inches.