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"Shrews" redirects here. For the fictional characters in The Animals of Farthing Wood, see The Shrews.
Shrews[1]
Fossil range: Middle Eocene to Recent
Southern Short-tailed Shrew
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Soricomorpha
Family: Soricidae
G. Fischer, 1814
Subfamilies

Crocidurinae
Myosoricinae
Soricinae

Shrews are small, superficially mouse-like mammals of the family Soricidae. The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in The Southern Short-tailed Shrew ( Blarina carolinensis) is a small gray short-tailed Mammal as the name implies Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The order Soricomorpha ("shrew-form" is a biological Clade within the class of Mammals In previous years it formed a significant Johann Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim ( Grigorij Ivanovitsch Fischer von Waldheim in Russian) ( October 13, 1771 &ndash October 18, In Biological classification, family ( Latin The White-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the Shrew family Soricidae. Myosoricinae is a Subfamily of Shrews The Red-toothed shrews or Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies Crocidurinae (White-toothed shrews Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands In Biological classification, family ( Latin Although their external appearance is generally that of a long-nosed mouse, the shrews are not rodents and not closely related: the shrew family is part of the order Soricomorpha. Anatomically a nose is a protuberance in Vertebrates that houses the Nostrils or nares which admit and expel air for respiration in conjunction with the A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used The order Soricomorpha ("shrew-form" is a biological Clade within the class of Mammals In previous years it formed a significant Shrews have feet with five clawed toes, unlike rodents, which have four. Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Shrews are also not to be confused with either treeshrews or elephant shrews, which belong to different orders. The treeshrews (or tree shrews) are small Mammals native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Elephant shrews or jumping shrews are small insectivorous Mammals native to Africa, belonging to the Macroscelididae family in the

Shrews are distributed almost worldwide: of the major temperate land masses, only New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand do not have native shrews at all; South America has shrews only in the far-northern tropics, including Colombia. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. In terms of species diversity, the shrew family is the fourth most successful of the mammal families, being rivalled only by the muroid families Muridae and Cricetidae and the bat family Vespertilionidae. Muroidea is a large Superfamily of Rodents It includes Hamsters Gerbils true mice and Rats and many other relatives Muridae is the largest family of Mammals It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia Africa and Australia The Cricetidae are a family of Rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. Evening bats or perhaps more correctly Vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae) are the largest and best-known family of Bats They belong to the suborder

Contents

Characteristics

All shrews are small, most no more than mouse size. The largest species is the House Shrew (Suncus murinus) of tropical Asia which is about 15 cm long and weighs around 100 grams; several are very small, notably the Etruscan Shrew (Suncus etruscus) which at about 3. The Asian House Shrew ( Suncus murinus) or the Asian Musk Shrew, is a widespread adaptable species of Shrew found mainly in South Asia The Etruscan Shrew ( Suncus etruscus), also known as the Etruscan Pygmy Shrew or the White-toothed Pygmy Shrew is the smallest known Mammal by 5 cm and 2 grams is the smallest living terrestrial mammal.

In general, shrews are terrestrial creatures that forage for seeds, insects, nuts, worms and a variety of other foods in leaf litter and dense vegetation, but some specialise in climbing trees, living underground, in the subniveal layer or even hunting in water. Subnivean (or subniveal) refers to a zone that is in or under the snow layer They have small eyes, and generally poor vision, but have excellent senses of hearing and smell. In Psychology, visual perception is the ability to interpret information from Visible light reaching the Eyes The resulting Perception is also Olfaction (also known as olfactics or smell) refers to the Sense of smell. [2] They are very active animals, with voracious appetites and unusually high metabolic rates. Basal metabolic rate ( BMR) is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment in the post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system Shrews must eat 80-90 per cent of their own body weight in food daily. They are not able to hibernate. For the ability of certain operating systems see Hibernate (OS feature Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression

Whereas rodents have gnawing incisors that grow throughout life, the teeth of shrews wear down throughout life, a problem made more extreme by the fact that they lose their milk teeth before birth, and therefore have only one set of teeth throughout their lifetime. Incisors (from Latin incidere, "to cut" are the first kind of Tooth in Heterodont Mammals They are located in the Premaxilla See also Deciduous. "Baby teeth" redirects here For the band of that name see Baby Teeth (band. Apart from the first pair of incisors, which are long and sharp, and the chewing molars at the back of the mouth, the teeth of shrews are small and peg-like, and may be reduced in number. Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of Tooth in most Mammals In many mammals they grind food hence the Latin name mola, " Millstone The dental formula of shrews is:

3. Dentition is the development of Teeth and their arrangement in the Mouth. 1. 1-3. 3
1-2. 0-1. 1. 3

Shrews are fiercely territorial, driving off rivals, and only coming together to mate. Many species dig burrows for caching food and hiding from predators, although this is not universal. A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an Animal to create a space suitable for habitation temporary refuge or as a byproduct of locomotion [2].

Female shrews can have up to ten litters a year, and the animals only stop breeding in the winter in temperate zones, and breed all year round in the tropics. Shrews have a gestation period of 17–32 days. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. The female often becomes pregnant within a day or so of giving birth, and lactates during her pregnancy, weaning one litter as the next is born[2]. Lactation describes the secretion of Milk from the Mammary glands the process of providing that milk to the young and the period of time that a Mother Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a Mammal Infant, either human or animal to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's Shrews live for between 12 and 30 months. [3]

Shrews are unusual among mammals in a number of respects. Unlike most mammals, some species of shrew are venomous. This article is about the class of Biotoxins For other uses see Venom (disambiguation and Venomous (disambiguation. Also, along with the bats and toothed whales, some species of shrew use echolocation. The toothed whales ( Systematic name Odontoceti) form a Suborder of the Cetaceans including sperm whales beaked whales orca dolphins Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological Sonar used by several Animals such as Dolphins Shrews most Bats Unlike most other mammals, shrews also do not have a zygomatic bone. The zygomatic bone came from the Latin term zyosislymore meaning malar bone (commonly called "cheek bone" ( malar bone) is a paired bone of the human Skull

Shrews hold nearly 10% of their mass in their brain, a relatively high brain to body mass ratio. Brain to body mass ratio (also known as the Encephalization Quotient or EQ) is a rough estimate of the possible intelligence [4]

Echolocation

The Northern Short-tailed Shrew is known to echolocate
The Northern Short-tailed Shrew is known to echolocate

The only terrestrial mammals known to echolocate are two genera (Sorex and Blarina) of shrews and the tenrecs of Madagascar. The Northern Short-tailed Shrew ( Blarina brevicauda) is a large Shrew found in central and eastern North America from southern Saskatchewan to Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological Sonar used by several Animals such as Dolphins Shrews most Bats The genus Sorex is a group of mainly land-dwelling Shrews with relatively long tails which includes many of the common shrews of Europe and North America The genus Blarina is a group of relatively large Shrews with relatively short tails found in North America. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern These include the Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans), the Common or Eurasian Shrew (Sorex araneus), and the Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda). The Vagrant Shrew ( Sorex vagrans) is a medium-sized North American Shrew. See also Cinereus Shrew for the mammal known as the Common Shrew in parts of North America The Northern Short-tailed Shrew ( Blarina brevicauda) is a large Shrew found in central and eastern North America from southern Saskatchewan to The shrews emit series of ultrasonic squeaks. In contrast to bats, shrews probably use echolocation to investigate their habitat rather than to pinpoint food.

Classification

There are 376 species of shrew in 26 genera, which are grouped into three living subfamilies: Crocidurinae (white-toothed shrews), Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews) and Soricinae (red-toothed shrews). The White-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the Shrew family Soricidae. The White-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the Shrew family Soricidae. Myosoricinae is a Subfamily of Shrews The Red-toothed shrews or Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies Crocidurinae (White-toothed shrews Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews The Red-toothed shrews or Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies Crocidurinae (White-toothed shrews Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews In addition, the family contains the extinct subfamilies Limnoecinae, Crocidosoricinae, Allosoricinae and Heterosoricinae (although Heterosoricinae is also commonly considered a separate family).

Metaphorical usage

In the English language, the word shrew is also used to describe a woman with a violent, scolding, or nagging temperament, as in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. The White-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the Shrew family Soricidae. The genus Crocidura is one of nine genera of the Shrew subfamily Crocidurinae. UserPolbot. -->The Kelaart's Long-clawed Shrew ( Feroculus feroculus) is a species of Mammal in the UserPolbot. -->The Large-headed Shrew ( Crocidura grandiceps) is a species of Mammal in the Soricidae UserPolbot. -->The Ruwenzori Shrew ( Ruwenzorisorex suncoides) is a species of Mammal in the Soricidae The Armored Shrew ( Scutisorex somereni) also known as the Hero Shrew, is a large Shrew native to Africa which has a highly unusual Spinal column UserPolbot. -->The Pearson's Long-clawed Shrew ( Solisorex pearsoni) is a species of Mammal in the Suncus is a genus of Shrews Classification Genus Suncus Taita Shrew ( S UserPolbot. -->The Forest Shrew ( Myosorex varius) is a species of Mammal in the Soricidae Myosoricinae is a Subfamily of Shrews UserPolbot. --> The Congo shrews are the members of the genus Congosorex. UserPolbot. --> Myosorex is a Mammal Genus in the Soricidae (shrew family UserPolbot. --> Surdisorex is a genus of Mammal in the Soricidae family The Red-toothed shrews or Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies Crocidurinae (White-toothed shrews Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews UserPolbot. --> Blarinella is a genus of Mammal in the Soricidae family The genus Blarina is a group of relatively large Shrews with relatively short tails found in North America. The genus Cryptotis is a group of relatively small Shrews with short ears which are usually not visible and short tails Nectogalini is a tribe of Old World water shrews within the family Soricidae. UserPolbot. --> The Asiatic water shrews are the members of the genus Chimarrogale. UserPolbot. -->The Elegant Water Shrew ( Nectogale elegans) is a species of Mammal in the Soricidae The genus Neomys is a group of three water shrews from Eurasia. Nesiotites is a Genus of Shrews Species Genus Nesiotites Balearic Shrew UserPolbot. --> Soriculus is a genus of Mammal in the Soricidae family UserPolbot. -->The Mexican Shrew ( Megasorex gigas) is a species of Mammal in the Soricidae Notiosorex is a Genus of Shrews Species Genus Notiosorex Cockrum's Gray The genus Sorex is a group of mainly land-dwelling Shrews with relatively long tails which includes many of the common shrews of Europe and North America The genus Sorex is a group of mainly land-dwelling Shrews with relatively long tails which includes many of the common shrews of Europe and North America English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States William Shakespeare ( baptised The Taming of the Shrew is an early comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594 The animals were believed historically to behave aggressively and with cruelty, and to have a poisonous bite; the term "shrew" was then applied to a person thought to have a similar disposition. [5]

Shrew was one of the names originally proposed for the British Fighter Airplane which finally became known as the Spitfire and played a key role in the Second World War. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

References

  1. ^ Hutterer, Rainer (2005-11-16). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published in Wilson, D. E. , and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 223-300. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.  
  2. ^ a b c Barnard, Christopher J. (1984). in Macdonald, D. : The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File, 758-763. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.  
  3. ^ Macdonald (Ed), Professor David W. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-920608-2.  
  4. ^ Brains of White Matter
  5. ^ Stefan Buczacki, Fauna Britannica, 2002, ISBN 0-600-61392-5

Dictionary

shrew

-noun

  1. Any of numerous small mouselike, chiefly nocturnal, mammals of the family Soricidae.
  2. An ill-tempered, nagging woman: a scold.
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