Wildlife

Pygmy Shrew Welfare in the UK

The pygmy shrew is the UK's smallest mammal and is declining in many areas, with welfare considerations around habitat loss, cat predation and pesticide impacts on its invertebrate prey.

Key Facts

Pygmy shrews weigh just 2.5-6 grams, making them the smallest UK land mammal
They are the only shrew species present on many UK islands
Pygmy shrews have very high metabolic rates requiring near-constant feeding
They cannot enter burrows to hibernate or escape severe weather
Populations on islands are particularly vulnerable to introduced predators

Welfare Considerations

Pygmy shrew welfare is acutely vulnerable to environmental conditions. Their inability to enter burrows makes them vulnerable to extreme weather events. Food chain pesticide impacts that reduce invertebrate availability have disproportionate welfare impacts given their tiny energy reserves. Island populations face catastrophic welfare impacts from introduced predators including stoats and rats.

What You Can Do

Support island rat and stoat eradication programmes
Maintain invertebrate-rich habitats in gardens and farmland margins
Avoid pesticide use that depletes shrew prey invertebrates
Participate in small mammal trapping surveys to monitor pygmy shrews
Support predator-free sanctuary island programmes