Most shrews prefer moist habitats, and the water shrew is often found in streams, ponds, and marshes. The breeding season is from March to August. Two to 10 young are born after a 17 to 28 day gestation period. The young are born naked and blind in a nest of grass. The young are weaned after 3 weeks.
Females generally have several litters per year.
Shrews live from 12 to 18 months. Shrews eat insects, spiders and other small invertebrates. Some species are dependent upon plant matter, but most will eat any kind of meat. If two shrews are caught in a enclosed area, such as a tin can, one will kill and eat the other. In western Interior Alaska, shrews will feed on blackfish that have come to the surface at holes in frozen-over lakes.