RIP Mr. Shrew

Shrews are vulnerable creatures, and not just because they make us humans go "Awwwww, that's so cute" when one comes hopping by and we just thinks it's a sweet little mouse, and not a neglected little non-rodent that's a whole lot sweeter. But more on that argument later. More on the shrew vulnerability argument. Shrews are vulnerable because they can die so easily. All they need to do is stop eating for a bit, because their Achilles' heel is their necessity to eat every 2-3 hours to consume 2-3 times their body weight a day, otherwise they face a slow death from starvation. That's why shrews haven't really embraced dieting.

Anyway, biology lesson over, today I researched these shrew nutrition facts in a vintage British Wildlife book and on Wikipedia after I became curious about the occasional shrew found dead in the Suffolk house. And how did I become curious about the death of shrews? Well, we found another dead one, a pygmy shrew. And I bet you're thinking right now, OMG, is this lunatic of a blogger going to torture us with creepy pictures of dead animals while she tries to take over the world? Right, I'm clicking on "Next Blog". I've had enough of her shrew nonsense. Well, all you people out there on the brink of The Dramatis Persona hater-hood, these pictures aren't creepy or scary or disgusting. They're not all that different from living shrews, except they don't breathe or have a pulse. But why am I telling you about them; I need to show you them. See, not all that scary, hey?!

To make the most of his final journey on the Earth, the poor little guy hitched a ride in the back of a truck. Hopefully it was on its way to The Underworld, via The Windowsill.

So, dead animal pictures over, for any of you that are still squeamish even when there's no blood or guts. What I was going to mention to take your mind away from the gloomy world of death, I'll tell you about how much I love shrews when they're alive. I really don't understand why there aren't loads of pictures on Google Images of shrews captioned "CUTE!!!!" like there are for rodents such as mice, squirrels and hamsters. Because they really are. as sweet as those animals, if not more, with their long, thin noses, pink feet, white tummies and long tails. Perhaps they're not as conventionally cute as, say, mice, but I think so-called conventionally cute just means manufactured cute. It's probably the shrew's sweet but unusual long nose that has prevented Disney from making a movie based around it.

*this image isn't mine

-DP :)