Mammals
Etruscan Shrew
Suncus etruscus · also called etruscan pygmy shrew, white-toothed pygmy shrew
Weighing less than a coin with a heart racing at over a thousand beats per minute, an Etruscan shrew hunts almost without pause, the smallest mammal on the planet living at a metabolic pace few other animals could survive.
Overview
The Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus, is the smallest mammal on Earth by body mass, native to grassland and forest habitat across a broad range spanning southern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Its extraordinarily fast heartbeat exceeding 1,000 beats per minute, need to consume more than its own body weight in food daily, and surprisingly wide geographic range despite its tiny size make it one of the most physiologically extreme mammals found anywhere in the world.
The smallest heartbeat racing the fastest
At barely two grams, the Etruscan shrew pushes mammalian physiology to its outer limit, its racing heart and relentless need to feed representing the literal smallest and fastest extreme of what a warm-blooded mammal can be.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable grassland and forest habitat throughout its broad range spanning southern Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Etruscan Shrew: common questions
Is the Etruscan shrew really the smallest mammal in the world?
Yes, this species is the smallest mammal on Earth by body mass, typically weighing less than 2 grams as a fully grown adult, making it lighter than many insects despite being a fully independent, warm-blooded predator.
How fast does an Etruscan shrew's heart beat?
This species has an extraordinarily fast heart rate that can exceed 1,000 beats per minute, among the fastest recorded for any mammal, a direct consequence of the extreme metabolic demands that come with being the smallest mammal alive.
Why does the Etruscan shrew need to eat so much?
This species has an extremely high surface-area-to-volume ratio typical of extremely small mammals, causing it to lose body heat rapidly and requiring it to consume more than its own body weight in food each day just to maintain its body temperature and energy levels.
Where is the Etruscan shrew found?
This species has a broad geographic range extending across parts of southern Europe, Africa, and Asia, an unusually wide distribution for such a tiny mammal, occupying grassland and forest habitat throughout this range.