What’s fairly common but hardly ever seen, weighs about as much as a teaspoon of sugar when fully grown, likes to live in old termite mounds, and sometimes moves in a congo line? CapeNature posed this question on its Facebook page. The answer, of course, is the lesser dwarf shrew (Suncus varilla).
This pint-sized insectivorous mammal in the family Soricidae is South Africa’s answer to Usain Bolt’s speed. Clocking in at a dainty 2.5 to 5 grams, the 6 to 10 cm long lesser dwarf shrew is a blur of dense greyish-brown fur, long tail, pointed snout and tiny eyes. In its preferred humid habitat such as forest edges, grasslands and agricultural areas, it gobbles down a buffet of insects, invertebrates and larvae with the urgency of a toddler on a sugar high.
Romance is brief and business-like. Females may produce several litters a year, with up to five young each time—squirmy little duplicates that quickly latch on to mom’s tail, forming the infamous “caravan” line. It’s absolutely adorable: nature’s version of a furry luggage train.
Lifespan? A speedy sprint too: about 12 to 18 months, if it’s lucky and doesn’t fall prey to a hungry owl or snake. Despite its commonness, it’s rarely spotted—partly because it’s so teensy, and partly because it moves like it’s had three espressos too many.
Ref: knowyourmammals.com; Photo: capenature.co.za
