All printables
Etruscan Shrew — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
Creature Atlas
Animal Fact Sheet
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Etruscan Shrew
Suncus etruscus
Suncus etruscus weighs about 1.8 g, less than a British penny, and is the smallest mammal on Earth by mass. Being that small pushes mammalian physiology to its limit. Surface area scales badly against volume, so it haemorrhages body heat, and to compensate its heart runs at up t…
Did you know?
- The Etruscan shrew is so lightweight that it can run across the surface of dry leaves without making a sound, making it almost invisible to predators.
- The Etruscan shrew is the lightest mammal, while the bumblebee bat of Thailand is the shortest — the two contest the "smallest mammal" title depending on which measure you use. Its whiskers let it identify a cricket by touching the shape of its legs and head, and it aims its bite at the insect's neck without ever seeing it. Its brain is around 0.1 g and yet it processes touch fast enough to catch prey nearly its own size. Because it cannot go long without food, it does not truly sleep for long stretches, alternating short rests with hunting bouts around the clock.
What I learned
Draw the etruscan shrew
© Creature Atlas · www.creatureatlas.com · Free for classroom & personal use
Want the whole set?
Get printable fact-sheet packs, coloring pages, and classroom worksheet bundles for dozens of animals — ready to download and print.
Browse printable packsGet a free printable each week
Join the newsletter for a new Creature of the Week + printables.