Lesser white-toothed shrew
| Lesser white-toothed shrew | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Genus: | Crocidura |
| Species: | C. suaveolens |
| Binomial name | |
| Crocidura suaveolens (Pallas, 1811) | |
| Lesser white-toothed shrew range | |
The lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura suaveolens) is a small species of shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, arachnids, worms, gastropods, newts and small rodents, though its diet usually varies according to the biotope where it lives. The closely related Asian lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura shantungensis) was once included in this species, but is now considered to be a separate species.
Like the common shrew, a female lesser white-toothed shrew and her young may form a "caravan" when foraging for food or seeking a place of safety; each shrew grips the tail of the shrew in front so that the group stays together.