Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Eulipotyphla
- Family
- Soricidae
- Genus
- Sorex
Habitat
The Long-clawed shrew inhabits moist forests, grasslands, and riverbanks in eastern Asia, including parts of Russia and China. It prefers areas with dense vegetation, ample ground cover, and proximity to water sources for foraging and shelter.
Diet
The Long-clawed shrew primarily consumes insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates like spiders and snails. It forages actively both day and night using its acute sense of smell, often hunting in leaf litter or soil to meet its high metabolic demands.
Behavior
Long-clawed shrews are solitary and territorial, defending small home ranges with scent markings. They are primarily nocturnal, spending the day in burrows or under logs, and exhibit high activity levels with constant foraging to sustain their rapid metabolism. These shrews are aggressive when threatened and rarely interact socially except during mating.
Conservation Status
The IUCN classifies the Long-clawed shrew as Least Concern, with a stable population trend. Major threats include habitat loss from deforestation and pollution in its range.