Fast Facts: Shrews – Part I

Welcome to Fast Facts with Reasons for Hope! I’m Carl Kerby. 

Today, we’re going to look at an unbelievably fast-paced, constantly moving, hyperactive mammal that makes even your busiest day seem relaxing – it’s the shrew!

The shrew has been recorded making twelve body movements per second… you’d hurt yourself if you tried to do that! 

Amazingly, its heart rate varies from 800 to 1,500 beats per minute! That’s faster than a hummingbird.

This constant motion means it rarely stops to sleep and it has to eat a LOT to keep going. Don’t be jealous, but this little guy is a voracious consumer, devouring nearly three times its body weight every day!

Since the shrew has such an incredibly high metabolism, it can never skip a meal. After only 3 to 8 hours, it’s literally starving to death.

No wonder this carnivore runs around frantically snatching anything from snails to slugs to insects to even earthworms to fill up on.

Next time, we’ll discover even more about this tiny mammal, but, until then, stay bold!

Karl Kerby is the founder of Reasons for Hope and co-creator of the DeBunked apologetic video series. His radio feature, Fast Facts, is heard weekly on VCY America, Saturdays at 9:25 AM Central.

Leave a Reply