What is an animal like a giant shrew? Where do they live and what kind of lifestyle do the species lead? What does a giant shrew eat? We will consider interesting facts about this unusual animal, as well as the answers to the above questions in our publication.
Appearance
At first glance, a giant shrew may seem like an ordinary field mouse. However, a distinctive feature of the animal is the presence of an elongated muzzle with a thin nose, somewhat similar to the proboscis. The eyes of such a creature are small, black. The ears are rather large, pressed to the head. Bunches of hard, short antennae are concentrated on the muzzle. The body is covered with short fur of a dark brown hue. On the abdomen of such animals there is a light patch of hair.
Continuing the description of the giant shrew, it is worth noting that the body size of an adult animal reaches no more than 10 centimeters. The tail occupies about 75% of the length of the whole body. The maximum weight of the species is about 15 grams.
Habitat
Giant shrews prefer to settle in a wooded area filled with coniferous and broad-leaved trees. Such animals dig holes on the slopes, which are located in close proximity to water sources. In particular, these animals build their homes in river valleys. In general, shrews try to stick to moist, but not swampy, terrain.
Currently, the largest populations are observed in the southern part of Primorsky Krai. Giant shrews are found in territories that are located between the valleys of the Kamenka and Serebryanka rivers. Outside the domestic latitudes, representatives of the species were repeatedly caught in China and Korea.
Breeding
Giant shrews are infertile animals. Probably, this fact is one of the reasons for the gradual extinction of the species. Females give only one offspring per year. Since giant shrews lead a secretive lifestyle, scientists to this day have not been able to establish the number of young individuals in the litter. It is only known that two to four embryos are born in the womb of females. The question of how many babies are born remains a mystery. According to some reports, the lifespan of such animals is only a year and a half.
It is noteworthy that for the entire period of the study of the species, naturalists were unable to catch a single male of a giant shrew. Therefore, the conditions under which the pairing of the species occurs is unknown.
Food
Giant shrews are extremely voracious creatures. During the day, adults absorb food, the amount of which is several times greater than their body weight. The basis of the diet is small insects. Favorite treats of giant shrews are all kinds of larvae, as well as earthworms.
Such rodents are known for unusual, extremely intense metabolism in the body. Without food, animals can survive for only one day. Food and relaxation are the main immediate needs for the species.
Surprisingly, shrews feed during the day more than a hundred times. In moments when there is no access to food, such animals fall into a short sleep, during which food is actively digested. To find prey, shrews are able to make deep holes even in the most dense soil. These rodents are also looking for food under all kinds of snags, in the thickness of fallen leaves, under the snow. In pursuit of prey, giant shrews are able to penetrate places where no animal can reach. Extreme gluttony makes giant shrews leave their shelters in the most inclement weather and at any time of the day, regardless of the time of year.
The gluttony of such animals brings considerable benefits to ecosystems. Shrews are illegible in their choice of food. Therefore, they eat a considerable amount of harmful insects. Destroying parasites, these creatures maintain a natural balance in wildlife.
Why did they put a giant shrew in the Red Book?
The reason for this is a constant decrease in the number of species. Over the past few centuries, the number of such rodents has dropped to critical limits. The animal was on the verge of extinction. The determining factor here was the unreasonable economic activity of man, in particular, the uncontrolled felling of broad-leaved and cedar trees, in the roots of which shrews take refuge.
Currently, the animal is under protection, it is listed in the Red Book of Russia. A giant shrew can be seen on the territory of such reserves as the Cedar Pad, Lazovsky, Sikhote-Alin and Ussuri. In order to study the species, for all the time, 42 adult individuals were caught here. At the moment, the exact number of giant shrews in protected areas is not known. According to researchers, the number of these relict rodents remains low and varies tremendously from year to year.
