Common shrew: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the common shrew lives – recorded in 19 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Sorex araneus
Group	Hedgehogs, shrews & moles
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	19 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Mammal
Order	Eulipotyphla
Family	Soricidae

Where does the common shrew live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the common shrew in 19 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the common shrew endangered?

The common shrew’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the common shrew?

The common shrew (Sorex araneus) is a mammal in the order Eulipotyphla and the family Soricidae, genus Sorex. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the common shrew

The common shrew (Sorex araneus), also known as the Eurasian shrew, is the most common shrew, and one of the most common mammals, throughout Northern Europe, including Great Britain, but excluding Ireland. It is 55 to 82 millimetres (2.2 to 3.2 in) long and weighs 5 to 12 grams (0.2 to 0.4 oz), and has velvety dark brown fur with a pale underside. It is one of the rare venomous mammals. Juvenile shrews have lighter fur until their first moult. The common shrew has small eyes, a pointed, mobile snout and red-tipped teeth. It has a life span of approximately 14 months.

Shrews are active day and night, taking short periods of rest between relatively long bursts of activity.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Common shrew (revision 1314043634), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q591450 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).