Shrew...who knew?

[Mimi13]

Interesting info from everyone about the shrew. I read also that they are very territorial, and if you have them, you likely don’t have mice. I found the dead shrew yesterday. Look what popped up on the security cam tonight! Can you see the beady eyes?
View attachment 1973105

Oh.My.Gosh! I see those beady eyes. I also read that about shrews and mice not jiving. Golly dang, given the two evils, I think I’d rather have the stinky, die at the drop of a hat, shrew instead of mice.
Why?
Shrew = Solitary
Mice = Multiply

 

[aart]

Can you see the beady eyes?

They are glowing!

Shrew = Solitary

Maybe, hopefully the one seen here is not a pregnant female.

 

[Mimi13]

Maybe, hopefully the one seen here is not a pregnant female.

Oh, I thought the one in the pic was a mouse that had shown up now that there’s no shrew around.

 

[vantain]

Oh, I thought the one in the pic was a mouse that had shown up now that there’s no shrew around.

It is a mouse.

 

[vantain]

I tried to catch the mouse in a trap last night, but was not successful. I'll try again tonight. I have 1/2" wire everywhere, but obviously there is a gap somewhere where the mice can get in.

 

[Mimi13]

I tried to catch the mouse in a trap last night, but was not successful. I'll try again tonight. I have 1/2" wire everywhere, but obviously there is a gap somewhere where the mice can get in.

The dang varmints! They are cute in singular form, but turn really nasty when there’s more than one.

 

[Kluk-Kluk]

Never had a shrew, but my chickens are deathly afraid of toads!

Too funny!

 

[sciencegrrrrl]

They scream, too! Had one trying to get into my porch a couple years ago and he got pretty frustrated. I've seen them trying to get into the run early in the morning when I go to let the crew out- they run away quickly when they see the hens coming!

 

[mosander]

I guess you hardly ever see them...they're extremely fast and very secretive. They also have venom:
Unlike most mammals, some species of shrews are venomous. Shrew venom is not conducted into the wound by fangs, but by grooves in the teeth. The venom contains various compounds, and the contents of the venom glands of the American short-tailed shrew are sufficient to kill 200 mice by intravenous injection.

You may have solved a big mystery for me. Last year an Orpington hen presented with swollen wattles and terrible breath. Sent pix of this to state vet who said it was coryza (not). Dispatched chicken and sent to state lab. Nothing made sense in the report. A month later another Leghorn Cross hen showed up with the same thing. Swollen wattles on her right side only. Noting 2 necrotic places (could not have been snake bite). Imobilized hen with that self clinging tape. Cut tiny holes at necrotic points and got creamy white stuff out of 2 swollen places. Irrigated with peroxide and Vetyricin. Kept her up for a couple of days and swelling gone in about 10 days. Both chickens had swelling on only one side of face. My guess was that they were either bitten or stung during a dust bath. Lots of mole, vole trails in the chicken yard. Shrews could have done this. The awful smell of these wounds would suggest a shrew. No problems since then.

 

[Rshumpal]

Since they are solitary animals you’d probably never find enough all at once to inflict enough paralyzing venom to do you in.

When I was in college in Iowa my cat would go at night and bring home about 10-15 and leave them on the back porch. I kept thinking the population in Ames must have dropped to almost nothing.