Mice are tiny, incredibly fast and often live in concealed areas, which makes them quite hard to sight. This week, I have been lucky to spot two of them: a wood mouse (first photo) and a common shrew—which technically is neither a mouse nor a rodent as it belongs to the mole family.
I found the shrew unwell in the middle of the sidewalk, nearly stepping on it, so I fetched it, placed it in a warm box and gave it some sweet water for a boost. I’m not sure what happened to it (possibly the abrupt temperature change of the past few days), but it recovered and was soon on its way.
It was lucky since shrews are fragile little mammals that can die from fear: oddly enough, the hormones they release when they are frightened can indeed be deadly to them.
Location: Paris, France
This looks like a fascinating experience. My encounters are with wood ice but it seems there is a shrew which eats the roots of our vegetables out here. The name in spanish I think refers to them being like a little mole. Thanks for your insight.
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Thanks for stopping by navasolanature, I’m sorry to hear a shrew is eating your veggies! It’s always pleasant to encounter these minuscule mammals. Wood mice really crack me up with their large black eyes, I love the guilty look on their face 🙂
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