Despite short legs, they can run at quite a speed. The head and skull is narrow and the zygomatic arch is missing. The snout and mandibles are long and narrow, working almost as forceps to pick up small prey. The brain is small, but has comparatively large frontal lobes associated with a good sense of smell. Small eyes indicate short-sightedness, the sense of smell is probably more important than sight in locating prey.
Most shrews live on or under the ground, searching through the vegetation for food.
They can use the passages of small rodents. Vocalisations are not important to most shrews, and are mostly heard during fights. Secretions and the sense of smell is probably important in social interactions, but these secretions may also be distasteful to some carnivores. Shrews are always hungry. They have a very high metabolic rate, and many species must eat their own weight daily to survive.