What is the smallest mammal in Europe?
The smallest! Savi’s Pigmy Shrew Suncus etruscus This is a contentious subject. The problem comes, in part, from the difficulty of comparing very different animals. Mass (weight) is the best estimator, overall, but is not always taken by field workers, who may be restricted to taking body lengths, or museum workers, who prefer skull lengths. Savi’s Pigmy Shrew Suncus etruscus is probably the World’s, certainly Europe’s, smallest mammal. It occurs in the Mediterranean region, across southern Asia to Thailand and China, with odd records from Africa as well. In southern France, Roger Fons records weights of 1.2-2.7 g, and head-and-body lengths of 36-53 mm. At this size, it may be small enough to run through the tunnels of large earthworms, though it is unlikely to eat one that large. However, earthworms and a variety of insects are eaten, but it is small enough to be killed by praying mantises, at least in captivity. Mealworms and house crickets are the normal diet of captive specimens. S
