Soricomorpha – Shrews
‘Shrew-formed,’ are animals with short, powerful limbs and fusiform bodies
Shrews thrive at higher altitudes near wet areas due to small body size and a high chance of desiccation.
Many soricomorphs are foodies, and lactating mothers even eat up to three times to produce high-calorie and nutritious milk. The pygmy white-toothed shrews are the smallest species in this order, while Cuban solenodons are the largest.
They are primarily nocturnal; however, few species also actively find food during the day. Shrews only live for one to two years, but in captivity, the moles have survived for even seven years. It shows that the high wild predation rate could be why they’ve such a short life span. Food choices vary between species; some are insectivorous, while others are functional omnivores.
Families in this order
While they may appear small and unimportant, shrews are among the most voracious predators on our planet
The first tapids are believed to evolve from shrew-like creatures that were adapted for digging during the late Eocene in Europe
