Suncus etruscus
white-toothed pygmy shrew

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. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995; Dobson, 1998; Nowak, 1990)

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. (Davison, 1979)

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. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995; McNab, 1988; Nowak, 1990)

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. (Nowak, 1990)

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. (Nowak, 1990)

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. (Nowak, 1990)

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. (Nowak, 1990; Nowak, 1990)

Shrews in general are very active and always foraging for food. This is especially true in the case of Suncus etruscus; being such a small animal, it has high energy demands. These shrews constantly use their long noses to locate food. They appear not to rely on sight to find food, nor do they use their forelimbs to aid in consuming their food. They also tend to groom themselves constantly when not eating and they are always moving. When they are still, they tend to hide under dead leaves, but this has never been seen for more than a half an hour. This behavior has been observed in the wild and in captivity. In the wild they tend to move based on the availability of cover and leaves to hide under. Suncus etruscus is most likely solitary and territorial, except during the breeding season, as is the closely related Suncus murinus. (Davison, 1979; Nowak, 1990)

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. (Davison, 1979; Hutterer, et al., 1979; Nowak, 1990)

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. (Davison, 1979; Jurgens, 2002)

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. (Hutterer and Kock, 2002)

Shrews are food for predators such as owls, and probably play a large role in controlling insect populations. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995)

The importance of Suncus etruscus to humans in not known, aside from their importance as members of healthy ecosystems. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995)

There are no known negative affects of Suncus etruscus on humans. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995)

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. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995)

There are several former subspecies of S. etruscus that have been elevated to full species. These include Suncus madagascariensis, S. fellowsgordoni, S. hosei, and S. malayanus. There is little to no information on these species and some accounts still treat these as subspecies of S. etruscus. All of these species (or subspecies depending on the author) are extremely similar in size and appearance to S. etruscus. ("Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews: Status Survey and Conservation and Action Plan", 1995; Nowak, 1990)