#0053 · 🦊 mammals
Eurasian Pygmy Shrew
🇳🇱 Dwergspitsmuis ·Sorex minutus
8 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
what is it?
The Eurasian pygmy shrew ( Sorex minutus ), often known simply as the pygmy shrew , is a widespread shrew of northern Eurasia. It is the only shrew native to Ireland.
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- Spotted 5 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist.
- 2,166 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Scientifically named in 1766 (260 years ago).
fact sheet
- English
- Eurasian Pygmy Shrew
- Nederlands
- Dwergspitsmuis
- scientific name
- Sorex minutus
- class
- Mammalia
- order
- Eulipotyphla
- family
- Soricidae
- IUCN Red List
- LC · least concern
- in NL
- native
- sightings in NL
- 5
- sightings in Europe
- 1,035
- sightings worldwide
- 2,166
- GBIF records in NL
- 1,170
- weight
- —
- length
- —
- lifespan
- —
- named
- 1766
IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.
relatives· Soricidae
#0023 📷 10Greater White-toothed Shrew
🇳🇱 Huisspitsmuis
Crocidura russula
LC 👀 62 in NL
#0030 📷 7Common Shrew
🇳🇱 Bosspitsmuis
Sorex araneus
LC 👀 29 in NL
#0040 📷 10Eurasian Water Shrew
🇳🇱 Waterspitsmuis
Neomys fodiens
LC 👀 16 in NL
#0065 📷 7Bicoloured Shrew
🇳🇱 Veldspitsmuis
Crocidura leucodon
LC 👀 2 in NL
#0237 📷 8Northern Short-tailed Shrew
🇳🇱 Kortstaartspitsmuis
Blarina brevicauda
LC 🌍 17.9k seen
#0399 📷 10Masked Shrew
🇳🇱 Amerikaanse Gemaskerde Spitsmuis
Sorex cinereus
LC 🌍 3.1k seen
#0478 📷 10Asian House Shrew
🇳🇱 Muskusspitsmuis
Suncus murinus
LC 🌍 2k seen
#0157 📷 10Pygmy White-toothed Shrew
🇳🇱 Wimperspitsmuis
Suncus etruscus
LC 🌍 772 seen
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 46471, Wikidata Q244372, GBIF 7571319, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.