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Pigmy Shrew.

The smallest of Irish mammals, average weight is 3.5gms and the 92mm length includes 38mm of tail! It is quarter length and quarter weight of a mouse. It feeds almost continuously through day and night as it cannot store energy as fat. It must consume more than its own weight in food every day. It is preyed on by owls, foxes, stoats and pine martin. It is widespread and is found where there is vegetative ground cover into which may burrow if it is unable to find an existing tunnel such as the wood mouse's. Breeding is in April or May, lactation is 22 days only and then the young must seek out insects, woodlice, spiders and beetles. One dead specimen was found by a student on their school tour here and presented to the tour guide for identification, who fled, preferring to write about them at a safe distance!

Its muzzle is long with whiskers. It will be rejected by the cat as their scent glands make them unpleasant to eat.


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