Sunday 27 April 2008

Eurasian Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens)

OTHER NAMES: Water Shrew
Latin Etymology: Neomys (?) fodiens ("to dig")
Adult Eurasian Water shrew (Neomys fodiens) at Brigstock, Northants - April 2020

Featured Subspecies: Neomys fodiens bicolor
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 10cm (+6cm tail)
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATEDIUCN Red List: Least Concern

The eurasian water shrew is a widely distributed but shy creature, found across a range that crosses almost all of Eurasia in temperate zones.  As the name implies, it is highly tied to water, where it dies to gather food which can include any number of creatures such as water snails, crayfish, newts, aquatic insect larvae and so on.  As with a number of other shrews, it has venomous saliva, although it lacks the jaw strength to deliver it to humans or other large animals.

Related Species:
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Neomys
SUBSPECIES: N. f. bicolor, N. f. fodiens, N. f. naias, N. f. niethammeri, N. f. orientis  

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A widespread but thinly distributed resident.
 - Seen in Brigstock

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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