A tiny shrew, one of the smallest mammals in the world, with relatively large ears. Upper parts gray-brown with red­dish tinge, long hairs interspersed in short dense coat. Underparts grayish, hairs gray, tipped white, with indistinct demarcation. Feet whitish. Ears large and stand well clear of fur. Tail narrow, over half head and body length, brown above, paler below, and scattered with bristles along entire length.

This species is widespread from Southern Europe and North Africa, through parts of the Near East and Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, South Asia and mainland Southeast Asia, to the island of Borneo in the east. In Europe, it is confined to the Mediterranean climate zone, occurring on the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas as well as on a number of Mediterranean islands. There is an established introduced population in the Canary Islands (Tenerife). In North Africa it is present in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. In the eastern Mediterranean it is present on the island of Cyprus, and is distributed in parts of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. In the Caucasus it is found in Azerbaijan, Georgia and possibly Armenia. The species has been recorded from Yemen, Oman, Iraq and possibly Iran. In Central Asia, it is present in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and possibly Uzbekistan. In South Asia, the species is known from much of Afghanistan and Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. In China it has only been recorded from Gengma County in southwestern Yunnan. In Southeast Asia, the species has been recorded from Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Viet Nam and Peninsular Malaysia, with some populations present on the island of Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak only). West and East African records (Guinea [not mapped here], Nigeria and Ethiopia [not mapped here]) are doubtful and need confirmation (Hutterer 2005). It occurs from sea level to altitudes of 3,000 m asl.

Etruscan shrews, Suncus etruscus, have a wide distribution, but they are mainly confined to the Mediterranean lowlands from Portugal to the Middle East. There are reports of S. etruscus in Africa. Many former subspecies that have since been elevated to species occur in Southeast Asia and Madagascar.

Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); oriental (Native ); ethiopian (Native )

In Egypt, known only from one specimen in the Paris Museum taken in the Delta. It is not known whether this shrew is just very rare, possibly extinct, or whether it is so small it is overlooked. Apparently it is too small to be caught in conventional mousetraps.

Much of southern Europe, including the Canary Isles, from Iberia east to Turkey and on to Iraq, Iran, India to China and parts of Southeast Asia to Borneo. Also North Africa south to Ethiopia and Madagascar.

Suncus etruscus may be one of the smallest mammals living today, with most adults weighing between 1.8 and 3 grams and ranging from 35 to 50 mm in length. They tend to be grayish-brown with short soft hair, and they are often recognized by their small hind limbs. There is no apparent sexual dimorphism. The basal metabolic rate of these tiny creatures averages 3.22 cubic centimeters of oxygen per hour.

Range mass: 1.8 to 3 g.

Average mass: 2g g.

Range length: 35 to 50 mm.

Average basal metabolic rate: 3.22 cm^3 oxygen/hour.

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.063 W.

Length: 6.2 – 8.1 cm; Tail: 2.1 – 3.2 cm; Weight: 1.5 – 2 g.

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

The habitat of Etruscan shrews includes forest, shrub and grassland environments. Suncus hosei, a former subspecies of S. etruscus, has been found in the dipterocarp forests of Asia. Some older accounts report S. etruscus at elevations as high as 4250 meters and as low as 100 meters in Malaysia. However, due to the fact that some subspecies have been elevated to full species, this may not reflect the true elevational range of Suncus etruscus.

Range elevation: 630 to 1000 m.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest

Savi’s pygmy shrew is found in a variety of habitats including farmland, gardens, and olive groves, often along old walls and buildings.

Suncus etruscus is an insectivorous species, as are most other shrews. They eat ants and other small insects; in captive studies they have eaten mealworms and crickets. They don’t use their forefeet to aid in consuming food. So, the smaller the food, the easier it can be handled. When captive individuals are given large food pieces, they cannot eat them readily; small pieces need to be detached before they can be eaten. Etruscan shrews rely little on sight in locating food. Sometimes they may even run into their food. They are always looking for food in order to meet their high energy demands.

Animal Foods: insects

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

Shrews are food for predators such as owls, and probably play a large role in controlling insect populations.

Etruscan shrews are extremely small and therefore little is known about their predation. Owls are known predators. Owl pellets often contain the remains of Etruscan shrews.

Known Predators:

• owls (Strigiformes)

Most shrews in the genus Suncus are solitary and territorial. In order to defend their territories, they all make some sort of chirping noises and show aggressive behavior toward any intruders. When Suncus etruscus is in torpor and then suddenly awakened it makes harsh shrieking calls and this noise is usually only made when it is unable to flee the area.

In a study using captive individuals, it was found that these shrews would make clicking sounds that would become more rapid the faster they were moving. When the animals were motionless the clicking sounds were not heard. It was believed that these sounds could be a form of echolocation; however, this behavior has only been observed in one study.

Shrews seem to rely most heavily on their senses of smell and touch to find food, as they have poor vision.

Communication Channels: acoustic

Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic

The shrews in the genus Suncus are often called musk shrews, owing to the scent glands of the males which secrete a strong, musky odour. Shrews are largely solitary and territorial animals and males use these musky secretions to mark their territory. An exception to this solitary existence is during the breeding season, when the shrews form monogamous pairs. The gestation period lasts 17 to 32 days and litters of 4 to 6 young are normal. During gestation, the pregnant female remains inside a nest within a burrow.

Savi’s pygmy shrew, like all shrews, is a voracious, opportunistic feeder, consuming mainly insects, but will also feed on meat, bread and other human food items when available. It has an exceptional metabolism, with a heartbeat of over a thousand beats per minute; this incredibly high metabolic rate means it cannot survive for more than a few hours without food. To satisfy their high energy requirements, shrews can consume as much as 1.3 times their body weight in a single day.

There is little known about the life span of Suncus etruscus, but the lifespans of other species in the genus range from 1.5 to 3 years. Etruscan shrews are hard to keep alive in captivity due to their size and their large energy requirements.

Typical lifespan

Status: wild: 1.5 to 3 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 2.7 years.

Maximum longevity: 3.2 years (captivity) Observations: These are one of the smallest living mammals, if not the smallest. Longevity has not been studied in detail in captivity due to difficulties in keeping these animals in captivity. One captive specimen lived 3.2 years, though (Richard Weigl 2005). Maximum longevity may still be underestimated.

The mating system of Suncus etruscus is not very well understood. In one study it was found that young pairs of S. etruscus did live peacefully during the mating season. It must be noted that the closely related species Suncus varilla appears to be monogamous, and pairs live together throughout the year. The small size and difficulty of capturing S. estruscus makes it difficult to study. It is not known if its behavioral characteristics are similar to those of S. varilla.

The time in which Suncus etruscus breeds and the information about its young have not been widely studied. However, other species in the genus Suncus have been known to breed at all times of the year, most notably Suncus murinus, which has been widely studied. Most pregnancies occur from October through December. One study of S. etruscus pairs found that the gestation of this species was about 27.5 days and that litter sizes were anywhere from 2 to 6. Weaning in the genus Suncus as a whole is from 17 to 20 days. Suncus varilla apparently reaches sexual maturity about 24 months after birth. Suncus murinus females, however, reach sexual maturity at around 36 days.

Breeding interval: Not known for this species

Breeding season: Not known for this species

Range number of offspring: 2 to 6.

Average gestation period: 27.5 days.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization ; viviparous

Average birth mass: 0.19 g.

Average gestation period: 27 days.

Average number of offspring: 4.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 365 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 365 days.

All eutherian mammals nurture their young before birth via the placenta, and all mammals provide their newborns with milk. There is little else known about the parental investment of Etruscan shrews. Parental investment by other members of the genus Suncus is quite variable. In the case of Suncus murinus, both parents collect nesting material. Suncus murinus young have been seen caravanning behind their mother when they are learning to find their own food. Suncus varilla young stay with their mother for up to nine months after being weaned, whereas S. murinus young are separated from their parents within a few months.

Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

The conservation status on Suncus etruscus is of least concern. However, some of the former subspecies are threatened. Suncus fellowgordoni is endangered; Suncus hosei is vulnerable.

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Least Concern.

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

There are no known negative affects of Suncus etruscus on humans.

The importance of Suncus etruscus to humans in not known, aside from their importance as members of healthy ecosystems.