What is a shrew and can it be tamed? Let’s learn some facts about shrews and then see a couple of videos on two ways to hold a shrew.

What is a Shrew?

Shrews are small mammals that look like mice with long noses. But, shrews are not rodents. Mice have long incisors that can be worn down and they keep growing. Shrews have a full mouth of sharp teeth. They are predators and can even kill a mouse even if it is larger in size. Some shrews, like the short-tailed shrew, have venom that is injected from their teeth that paralyzes its victim. They mostly eat insects (so don’t kill them) and eat more than their weight per day. They have a fast metabolism and must eat throughout the day.

What Kind of Shrews are in Northern California?

There are a few species of Ornate shrews in northern California. They have a wide range in California all the way down to Baja California. These shrews are not venomous. Also, venomous does not mean poisonous to humans.

Can a Shrew be Tamed?

All animals can bite, especially when they are afraid. Any animal can be tamed if handled enough, and more especially if they are raised as a baby. The featured image at the beginning of this post is of my daughter, Ivana, holding the first shrew that we rescued from our cats. It bit her on her thumb and she didn’t care. She was used to being tough and liked to punch brick walls with her fists to prove it. So, a little bite on her thumb was nothing to her. In the second picture just above, she is letting the shrew chew on her fingernail. I can’t exactly say that this shrew was tamed, but she did figure out how to hold it and not get bit anymore.

Notice how Ivana is holding the shrew in the above picture. It has its mouth open, but it can’t bite her.

In the pictures above and below, the shrew is not being restrained and he is looking so cute and perhaps a little bit tamed.

Watch the First Video

This first video, and the pictures, were taken in 2015. The following video is only 15 sec. long of Ivana offering the shrew some canned cat food. It did not want it. This shrew had an injured foot from being a cat toy. Because of this, we wanted to help it. We also took advantage of this rescue to get some up-close photos of it. In the end, we released the shrew so he could hunt for the food that he wanted.

Watch the Second Video

Fast forward to June of 2021. I was sitting down by my creek reading my Bible when I heard my cat, Columbus, give a cry of pain. I had to see what happened. He wasn’t far away and when I approached, I saw the cause. There was a ferocious little shrew on the ground with Columbus towering over him. Columbus deserved to get bit. When I can’t rescue shrews, they become cat toys until they are dead. In the video, you will see me pick up the shrew by the scruff of its upper back. It should have been the neck because it was almost able to bite me. I am not like my daughter and am not wanting to get bit and have a sore finger for a few days. I hope you will enjoy this video.

CAUTION!

Don’t try this trick at home unless you know what you are doing.

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