Shrews are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to different families or orders.
The order Afrosoricida contains the golden moles of Southern Africa, the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar. These three families of small mammals have traditionally been considered to be a part of the order Insectivora, and were later included in Lipotyphla after Insectivora was abandoned as a wastebasket taxon, before Lipotyphla was also found to be polyphyletic.
The white-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae.
The American pygmy shrew is a small shrew found in Northern Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States, south through the Appalachian Mountains. It was first discovered in 1831 by naturalist William Cane in Georgian Bay, Parry Sound.
The North American least shrew is one of the smallest mammals, growing to be only up to 3 inches long. It has a long pointed snout and a tail never more than twice the length of its hind foot. The dense fur coat is either grayish-brown or reddish-brown with a white belly. Its fur becomes lighter in the summer and darker in the winter. Although similar in appearance to several species of rodents, all shrews are members of the order Eulipotyphla and should not be mistaken for a member of the order Rodentia. The North American least shrew's eyes are small and its ears are completely concealed within its short fur, giving it very poor eyesight and hearing.
The Ussuri shrew, also known as the giant shrew, is a species of shrew found in Northeast Asia. An adult Ussuri shrew has a total length including the tail of 137 to 170 mm. It is found in valleys and on the forested slopes of mountains in the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East. It is rarely observed, and its ecology is largely unknown.
The Asiatic water shrews are the members of the genus Chimarrogale. They are mammals in the subfamily Soricinae of the family Soricidae. They are aquatic, with some species inhabiting streams. The genus contains the following species:
Crocidura grandiceps is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and aquaculture as well as logging and wood harvesting. To increase habitat protection for the C. grandiceps, in-place land/water protection conservation actions are in place. The vernacular name large-headed shrew is sometimes applied to C. grandiceps but has also been used for the entire related genus Paracrocidura. The IUCN List categorizes the C. grandiceps as Near Threatened as of 2008.
Grauer's large-headed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The greater large-headed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland and montane forests, and swamps.
The lesser large-headed shrew is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Asian mole shrews (Anourosorex) are a genus of shrews that resemble moles, from China, Taiwan, India, and Indochina. They are the only known genus of the Anourosoricini tribe of red-toothed shrews. The four known species are:
