Least shrew

Least shrews live in grassy places, using runways through the grass and the burrows of other small animals. Unusually for shrews, which are mostly solitary, several may share a nest, and groups have been found huddling together, which may help them keep warm.

They are fierce hunters for their size, attacking insects and even larger prey, and they sometimes enter beehives to eat the brood, which is where the name "bee shrew" comes from.

Least shrews are among the smallest mammals in North America, and they live at a pace that most animals cannot match, eating a large share of their weight in insects every day.

In grassland they are part of the base of the food web, eaten by owls, hawks, snakes and foxes, and they take many crop and pasture insects in return.

Breeding — much of the year in the South
Gestation — about three weeks
Litter — usually three to six young
Weaning — at about three weeks old
Maturity — within a month or two
Lifespan — rarely more than a year in the wild

• Mowing fields in spring and summer destroys nests; mowing later or leaving strips of uncut grass helps.
• Cats kill many least shrews.
• A shrew in a building can be guided out with a container.

• A tiny brown animal in the grass is a baby mouse. It is often a fully grown least shrew.
• Shrews live alone. Least shrews often share nests.
• Shrews eat seeds and plants. They are almost entirely insect-eaters.

• Southern short-tailed shrew
• Northern short-tailed shrew
• Southeastern shrew
• Eastern harvest mouse