The Untamed Shrew

It is always a great thrill to see wild mammals in the UK; they are largely hard to see, often nocturnal, and not surprisingly do their best to avoid any contact with the human race. I know we would rather not see some animals too closely.  Rats or mice in your house and garden are generally unwelcome sights and there are probably too many rabbits.  Sadly hares are few and far between in Sussex these days.

When we do see them it is usually the briefest of glimpses as a deer disappears into a wood, or a fox or a badger’s red eyes show up in car headlights or sadly, dead by the side of the road. A bat might swoop into view for a second then melt into the twilight gloom, while hedgehogs are becoming a rarity.

What prompted these thought processes is that around Woods Mill at the moment a number of people have been watching one of Britain’s smallest mammals, the water shrew. I haven’t seen one here for many years, but recently the ‘leat’, which is a channel of water that supplies the mill wheel, has been cleared of vegetation and so we have a clear view into the water. Hence, we have been able to observe this busy little animal going about its daily life.

Water shrews, although very small, are in fact the largest of the British shrews. They are jet black on top but lighter underneath and with a good view you can see little white tufts at the ends of the ears. As they are semi-aquatic the fur is very short, dense and velvety in texture, which provides the insulation they need to swim underwater. If you see them in the water a silvery bubble envelops their body creating a very interesting effect.

Like all our British shrews they are carnivores and their main source of food is freshwater shrimps, caddis fly larvae and water slaters, though they are not adverse to the odd frog or small fish. They will also eat terrestrial fare as well such as worms, snails and beetles.

Carnivores tend not to taste very nice, although they are prey for some predators such as tawny or barn owls. Thankfully, apparently cats find them particularly distasteful.

They are equally at home on land and water but need dry, safe conditions to breed, so they look for places under logs or in burrows where they make a little nest of dry grasses.

Water shrews breed two or three times in the summer, sometimes producing up to fifteen in a single litter. After breeding the adults usually die leaving the youngsters to find their own territories for the winter, as they tend to be solitary until the breeding season comes around again.

Shrews are renowned for very short but extremely active lives, so it has been a great pleasure and a privilege to be able to just stand and observe these delightful little creatures undisturbed. Although I haven’t seen them for many years it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have not been at Woods Mill. In the past I came across a few corpses around the reserve, but I think the more likely explanation for their return is the clearing of the leat allowing the animals to forage amongst the roots and vegetation along the edge and just under the water.

Whatever the reason, it is very good to see them back.

www.sussexwt.org.uk
Mike Russell

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