Tricoloured, dark brown, pale brown, whitish, dense velvety fur, long pointed nose, tiny eyes, small ears and red teeth. The common shrew is found throughout mainland Britain and has also been introduced to many islands with the notable exception of Ireland, the Outer Hebrides, and Shetland. The common shrew is a terrestrial species living almost anywhere and is most commonly found in hedgerows, scrubland, grassland and deciduous woodland. Since shrews must eat every 2-3 hours to survive they are often seen at the surface foraging for food, but live in burrows which may have been used previously by another animal. Their main food source is insects but they will also eat earthworms, small slugs and snails especially in damp areas.
Shrews are highly territorial animals and only socialise with one another in the mating season.
Females have one litter of 5-7 young from May to September. Young shrews are occasionally observed following their mother in a 'caravan'. Each shrew grasps the base of the tail of the preceding shrew so that the mother runs along with a line of young trailing behind. This behaviour is often associated with disturbance of the nest and may also be used to encourage the young to explore their environment. Shrews do not hibernate, but they do become less active in winter.