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Description
The Spitter Shrew is a small mammal that is found scurrying within the savannas and jungles of the arid continent. It prefers places that have plenty of vegetation, be it the tall grasses of the savanna or the entangling undergrowth of the jungle. This provides the Spitter Shrew with cover from aerial predators, materials for its burrows as well as habitat that is bursting with prey. This species relies on heavy vegetation cover so much that it is honestly hard to locate and study! The only thing that helped me on my quest to find specimens was their bright colored fur! Even with that, it was difficult to watch or even capture them, as they are fast as lightening! They scurry through the underbrush at astonishing speeds, either to avoid the notice of predators or desperately searching for food. It is unknown what developed first, their quickness or their insatiable appetite, as Spitter Shrews are on the constant search for prey. Perhaps their little bodies require a great deal of energy, for they are always foraging and always looking for a bite to eat. Their diet consists mainly of insects and worms, which they locate with their sensitive snout. Covered in fine hairs, this flexible trunk is used to sniff out food wherever it may hide. Their claws and tough teeth are then used to dig up worms or take down hard shelled bugs. Due to the odd arrangement of their teeth, the Spitter Shrew has a long, prehensile tongue that it uses to help hold and eat prey. Anything it catches is gobbled up, and then the little critter is back on the hunt! It must be an exhausting life, because I was definitely tuckered out chasing these little guys down all day!

Due to their small size, one can imagine that many other species see the Spitter Shrew as a tasty snack. Birds of prey, serpents and other mammal eaters may think this critter is potential prey, but they will find it no easy meal! As mentioned before, these guys are super fast and are quite good at zipping in and out of cover at a moments notice. Predators either need to be fast enough to pursue or quick enough with their reflexes to nab them as they dart by. Even if they can corner one of these shrews, the battle is far from over. The elongated incisors that jut from their mandibles are actually hollow, and they happen to be connected to a pair of venom glands. By using special muscles to squeeze these glands, the Spitter Shew can spray venom from these hollow teeth. They do not have precise aim with this method, but the wide spray often strikes their target regardless. This venom causes a burning pain when it comes in contact with sensitive membranes, particularly eyes, nose and mouth. Those hit with it may be temporarily blinded, or at least distracted by the searing pain, which gives the shrew a chance to flee! This same mechanism is used by the strange hollow protuberances that are on its back. They too are hooked up to venom glands, and they are mainly used to fend off aerial attackers. Thankfully they only use this tactic when cornered or threatened, so I had nothing to worry about!

When it needs to rest, the Spitter Shrew shall return to one of its many burrows, which are either dug out from mud and soft soil or it is made from thick grasses and plants. This is where they sleep, but it is also where they raise their young. Females give birth to litters of four to six, which feed on her milk until they can leave the nest. Even when they grow their fur and develop their venom glands, they will still stick with their mother for several weeks. During this period, she will take them with her as she forages and lead them from burrow to burrow. This is to teach them how to hunt, as well as keep them moving so that predators have a harder time tracking them. To help keep her young close by, she will link them up into a chain. She will be upfront, while one hangs onto her tail, which will have another hold onto its tail and so on. If you look closely, you will see that they have odd bulbs at the ends of their tails. This is to help the young keep a grip on as they dart through the underbrush. It is an interesting spectacle to behold, I must say! With them all linked up and scurrying along, they kind of look like furry serpents! Well now that I mention that, I wonder if that may be something that helps ward off predators? Bright colors, a snake-like shape, long teeth... I think I might have just stumbled upon a new research topic!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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A wonky little shrew! Not much else to it!

Description
The Spitter Shrew is a small mammal that is found scurrying within the savannas and jungles of the arid continent. It prefers places that have plenty of vegetation, be it the tall grasses of the savanna or the entangling undergrowth of the jungle. This provides the Spitter Shrew with cover from aerial predators, materials for its burrows as well as habitat that is bursting with prey. This species relies on heavy vegetation cover so much that it is honestly hard to locate and study! The only thing that helped me on my quest to find specimens was their bright colored fur! Even with that, it was difficult to watch or even capture them, as they are fast as lightening! They scurry through the underbrush at astonishing speeds, either to avoid the notice of predators or desperately searching for food. It is unknown what developed first, their quickness or their insatiable appetite, as Spitter Shrews are on the constant search for prey. Perhaps their little bodies require a great deal of energy, for they are always foraging and always looking for a bite to eat. Their diet consists mainly of insects and worms, which they locate with their sensitive snout. Covered in fine hairs, this flexible trunk is used to sniff out food wherever it may hide. Their claws and tough teeth are then used to dig up worms or take down hard shelled bugs. Due to the odd arrangement of their teeth, the Spitter Shrew has a long, prehensile tongue that it uses to help hold and eat prey. Anything it catches is gobbled up, and then the little critter is back on the hunt! It must be an exhausting life, because I was definitely tuckered out chasing these little guys down all day!

Due to their small size, one can imagine that many other species see the Spitter Shrew as a tasty snack. Birds of prey, serpents and other mammal eaters may think this critter is potential prey, but they will find it no easy meal! As mentioned before, these guys are super fast and are quite good at zipping in and out of cover at a moments notice. Predators either need to be fast enough to pursue or quick enough with their reflexes to nab them as they dart by. Even if they can corner one of these shrews, the battle is far from over. The elongated incisors that jut from their mandibles are actually hollow, and they happen to be connected to a pair of venom glands. By using special muscles to squeeze these glands, the Spitter Shew can spray venom from these hollow teeth. They do not have precise aim with this method, but the wide spray often strikes their target regardless. This venom causes a burning pain when it comes in contact with sensitive membranes, particularly eyes, nose and mouth. Those hit with it may be temporarily blinded, or at least distracted by the searing pain, which gives the shrew a chance to flee! This same mechanism is used by the strange hollow protuberances that are on its back. They too are hooked up to venom glands, and they are mainly used to fend off aerial attackers. Thankfully they only use this tactic when cornered or threatened, so I had nothing to worry about!

When it needs to rest, the Spitter Shrew shall return to one of its many burrows, which are either dug out from mud and soft soil or it is made from thick grasses and plants. This is where they sleep, but it is also where they raise their young. Females give birth to litters of four to six, which feed on her milk until they can leave the nest. Even when they grow their fur and develop their venom glands, they will still stick with their mother for several weeks. During this period, she will take them with her as she forages and lead them from burrow to burrow. This is to teach them how to hunt, as well as keep them moving so that predators have a harder time tracking them. To help keep her young close by, she will link them up into a chain. She will be upfront, while one hangs onto her tail, which will have another hold onto its tail and so on. If you look closely, you will see that they have odd bulbs at the ends of their tails. This is to help the young keep a grip on as they dart through the underbrush. It is an interesting spectacle to behold, I must say! With them all linked up and scurrying along, they kind of look like furry serpents! Well now that I mention that, I wonder if that may be something that helps ward off predators? Bright colors, a snake-like shape, long teeth... I think I might have just stumbled upon a new research topic!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

------------------------------

A wonky little shrew! Not much else to it!