The Etruscan shrew (pygmy shrew) is officially recognized as the smallest mammal on Earth. This shrew is a real baby among insectivorous mammals! Its weight is 1.5 grams and its length is 3 centimeters. It is worth describing this baby in more detail.
Instructions
Step 1
The body of the dwarf shrew is slender and mobile. As already mentioned, the length of this crumbs, together with the head, ending in a long and movable proboscis, is from 3 to 4 centimeters. The body weight of the Etruscan shrew varies from 1, 2 to 1, 5 grams. The fur of this creature is very soft and shiny. The color of the coat is from gray to brown. In winter, the fur becomes softer and longer.
Step 2
The Etruscan shrew moves very quickly and quickly. It also has an extremely high level of metabolism (metabolism). This forces her to eat large amounts of food, which is twice her own weight. This baby is a real hunter for young frogs, lizards and, of course, insects. Scientists have followed the life of the dwarf shrew and came to the conclusion that it has to eat about 25 times a day!
Step 3
The physiological characteristics of the smallest mammal in the world are as follows: the body temperature of the Etruscan shrew is 37 ° C, and the heart beats up to 1511 beats per minute (25 beats per second!). When the baby falls into a temporary numbness, her body temperature drops to 12 ° C. Temporary numbness is a necessary part of the life of a dwarf shrew and occurs at certain periods of its life: cold season, lack of food. The exit from this state is accompanied by an increased heartbeat: at this time, heartbeats increase from 100 to 1200 per minute.
Step 4
Dwarf shrew females are real caring mothers. They lead their young in a chain. This is how it happens: the first cub clings to the mother's tail, the second to the tail of his brother or sister, etc. It turns out an unbreakable chain moving along the road. At first glance, one may not understand what kind of "rope" is moving, but upon closer examination it becomes clear that this is a brood of the smallest mammals on Earth.
Step 5
Unfortunately, the pygmy shrew is on the verge of extinction in some countries. The reason for this is rather sharp climatic changes, to which the Etruscan crumbs are very sensitive. In addition, a decrease in the number of dwarf shrews also occurs due to the destruction of their homes as a result of certain agricultural activities. The Etruscan shrew is of great benefit to humans: it destroys pests in vegetable gardens, orchards and fields.
Step 6
Etruscan shrews live in North America, in southern Europe, in a number of Asian countries, in the Transcaucasus, as well as in the Moscow region, the Urals, in the Primorsky Territory and in the Baikal region.
