Greater white-toothed shrew
Encyclopedia
The Greater White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura russula) is a small insectivorous mammal. found in Europe
and North Africa
, weighing about 11-14 grams. and is the most common of the white-toothed shrew.This specie is also found along the Mediterranean, north-east to northern Germany, southern Poland, and also ranging from Algeria to Morroco.Its preferred habitats are grassland
and woodland
. It is slightly larger than the Lesser White-toothed Shrew
but otherwise very similar, and can often be distinguished only by close inspection of its teeth which is unpigmented. The Greater white-toothed shrew lacks the deposition of iron on the enamel when compared to it's counterpart the red-toothed shrew.
The Greater White-toothed shrew has a lifespan for about 18 months in the wild, but can survive for 30 months in captivity under laboratory. C. russula has the highest ever measured mass-specific metabolic rate when compared to the other terrestrial mammals.
C. russula exhibit a monogamous mating pattern and usually have a single breeding season whereby the fertilization occurs right after paturition to avoid any inbreeding.. The C. russula can produce about four litters consisting of usually about 2 to 10 young. The sexual maturity is reached fairly quickly in this specie. During the reproductive season the female gets overly terrotorial and shares the nest with only one male compared to the winter season where the individuals shate the same nest to compensate for the excessive heat loss during winter..The social organization of C. russula is very much dependent on the season.
The Greater white-toothed shrews seem to communicate via a primitive form of ecolocation which produces a high pitched twittering calls. This call together with the vibrissae is also used to interpret their environment and also find their way around.
In April 2008, the Greater White-toothed Shrew was discovered in Ireland.. While the introduction of the species will possibly sustain threatened birds of prey, such as the Barn Owl
, the nonnative
mammal could threaten some of the smaller native species, such as the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew
.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, weighing about 11-14 grams. and is the most common of the white-toothed shrew.This specie is also found along the Mediterranean, north-east to northern Germany, southern Poland, and also ranging from Algeria to Morroco.Its preferred habitats are grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. It is slightly larger than the Lesser White-toothed Shrew
Lesser white-toothed shrew
The Lesser White-toothed Shrew is a tiny shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe, but not in most of Spain, north–west France and mainland Great Britain. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, worms, slugs, snails and small mice...
but otherwise very similar, and can often be distinguished only by close inspection of its teeth which is unpigmented. The Greater white-toothed shrew lacks the deposition of iron on the enamel when compared to it's counterpart the red-toothed shrew.
The Greater White-toothed shrew has a lifespan for about 18 months in the wild, but can survive for 30 months in captivity under laboratory. C. russula has the highest ever measured mass-specific metabolic rate when compared to the other terrestrial mammals.
C. russula exhibit a monogamous mating pattern and usually have a single breeding season whereby the fertilization occurs right after paturition to avoid any inbreeding.. The C. russula can produce about four litters consisting of usually about 2 to 10 young. The sexual maturity is reached fairly quickly in this specie. During the reproductive season the female gets overly terrotorial and shares the nest with only one male compared to the winter season where the individuals shate the same nest to compensate for the excessive heat loss during winter..The social organization of C. russula is very much dependent on the season.
The Greater white-toothed shrews seem to communicate via a primitive form of ecolocation which produces a high pitched twittering calls. This call together with the vibrissae is also used to interpret their environment and also find their way around.
In April 2008, the Greater White-toothed Shrew was discovered in Ireland.. While the introduction of the species will possibly sustain threatened birds of prey, such as the Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
, the nonnative
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
mammal could threaten some of the smaller native species, such as the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew
Eurasian pygmy shrew
The Eurasian Pygmy Shrew , often known simply as the Pygmy Shrew, is a widespread shrew of northern Eurasia. It is the only shrew native to Ireland....
.