How water shrews find prey in the dark

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The water shrew is a tiny mammal about half the size of a mouse. Credit: Kenneth Catania
The water shrew is a tiny mammal, about half the size of a mouse. Credit: Kenneth Catania

Shrews are tiny mammals that have been widely characterized as simple and primitive. This traditional view is challenged by a new study of the hunting methods of an aquatic member of the species, the water shrew. The research reveals that the small animal possesses remarkably sophisticated methods for detecting prey that allow it to catch small fish and aquatic insects as readily in the dark as in daylight.


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