High-Energy Fuzz Ball
Shrews hunt constantly and burn energy so quickly that if they miss one meal they might die. When stressed, a shrew’s tiny heart can beat up to 1,300 times per minute.
Sonar Rover
Due to poor eyesight, a shrew sometimes just bumps right into its next meal. However, it can use high-pitched chirps, like a bat, to locate prey.
Tiny but Toxic
A shrew paralyzes prey with its fanglike teeth and poisonous saliva. It packs enough venom to kill 200 mice.
Mouse Missile
A deer mouse can zip along on just its hind feet, dragging its tail for balance. They’ve been clocked at 8 feet per second.
Hidden = Alive
To stay out of sight, deer mice often use tunnels and runways through tall grasses made by other mice and shrews. For a mouse, staying hidden means staying alive.
And the winner is…
The shrew’s venomous bite missed its mark, leaving it with only a mouthful of mouse fur. The lucky mouse left the shrew in the dust with a quick flick of its powerful back legs.
And More...
This Issue's Staff
Les Fortenberry
Karen Hudson
Regina Knauer
Angie Daly Morfeld
Noppadol Paothong
Marci Porter
Mark Raithel
Laura Scheuler
Matt Seek
David Stonner
Nichole LeClair Terrill
Stephanie Thurber
Cliff White