Quick answer
Common Shrews feed on insectivore — insects, worms, slugs, and spiders, adjusting seasonally based on local habitat and prey or plant availability.
Diet overview
Common Shrews are mammals that rely on insectivore — insects, worms, slugs, and spiders. The common shrew is one of Europe's smallest mammals, weighing about 10 g with venomous saliva that paralyses invertebrate prey. It must eat every few hours due to extreme metabolism, lives about 2 years, and scurries at 8 km/h through leaf litter.
Feeding behaviour
Foraging strategy varies by season. Common Shrews may hunt, graze, filter-feed, or scavenge depending on ecology.
Role in the food web
As mammals, they interact with predators, prey, and competitors across their range.
Human-related feeding risks
Never feed wild common shrews — it habituates animals to people and can spread disease.
Sources
FAQs
What do common shrews eat?
Insectivore — insects, worms, slugs, and spiders.
Are common shrews carnivores or herbivores?
Their diet is best described as: insectivore — insects, worms, slugs, and spiders.
Do common shrews change diet seasonally?
Yes — many species shift food sources as seasons and prey abundance change.
Can I feed wild common shrews?
No — feeding wild animals is unsafe and often illegal.