The
large, dark grey water shrew lives mostly in wetland habitats. It's a
good swimmer that hunts for aquatic insects and burrows into the banks.
About
The
water shrew is our largest shrew. As the name suggests, it lives almost
entirely in wetland habitats, such as streams, ponds, fens and
reedbeds. It spends much of its time hunting for invertebrates and even
swimming underwater to catch caddisfly and mayfly larvae. Although it
doesn't have webbed feet, stiff hairs on its back feet and tail aid
swimming. Water shrews live in small burrows in the banks of their
watery habitats. They breed throughout summer, producing three to
fifteen young per litter.How to identify
The
water shrew is a large shrew, with a silky, dark grey or black back and
white underside. It has large hind feet and is the only shrew that is
likely to be seen in the water.Distribution
Widespread,
but absent from the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, some Scottish
islands, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.Did you know?
The water shrew is quite
unusual among mammals because it has a venomous bite. The poison in its
saliva is strong enough to immobilise frogs and small fish. It can
tackle prey up to 60 times heavier than itself, including newts, frogs,
crustaceans and snails.
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