Animal profile

Etruscan Shrew

Suncus etruscus

MammaliaWarm scrub, grassland, garden and rocky ground with dense coverLeast Concern

Field profile

The Etruscan shrew is the smallest mammal by mass, weighing under two grams as an adult. It hunts invertebrates almost continuously to keep up with its metabolism. Its heart rate is the highest measured in any mammal.

Published field notes

2026-04-29

Etruscan Shrew

The Etruscan shrew's heart beats over a thousand times a minute

At under two grams, this shrew loses heat so fast that it must run its body at an extreme rate. Heart rates as high as about 1,500 beats a minute have been recorded, the fastest measured in any mammal.

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