Ordinarily shrews feed on invertebrates, and they help to control harmful insects. Some also eat plant material or carrion. They have sharp teeth, and a number of species have toxic saliva for stunning prey. Few mammals will eat shrews because many species have glands on their flanks that emit an unpleasant scent. However, birds of prey and snakes will feed on them.
Shrews are chiefly terrestrial, living among ground litter.
Some are burrowers, and a few are semiaquatic or arboreal. Some are active during both day and night, and others are active only at night. They have one or more litters a year. From two to ten blind, naked young are born in each litter. The animals are believed to live only about 18 months.