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Micromammals
Small mammals or micromammals are a subdivision of mammals based on their body mass and size. Different values have been used as the upper limit. The International Biological Programme has defined small mammals as species weighing up to 5 kg. Alternatively, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) groups the orders of rodents, tree shrews and eulipotyphlans (insectivores) together under the term small mammals. A significant majority of mammal species falls into the category of small mammals. They are found in a great range of habitats and climate zones. Characteristics Many small mammals have a short livespan and high fertility rate, resulting in a comparatively high variability in genetic composition. Their size leads to a reduced energy need for movement, but a high energy requirement for maintaining body temperature. This results in a high rate of food intake, using a wide range food sources. Their small size, together with frequently nocturnal or crepuscu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suncus Etruscus
The Etruscan shrew (''Suncus etruscus''), also known as the Etruscan pygmy shrew, white-toothed pygmy shrew and Savi's pygmy shrew, is the smallest known extant mammal by mass, weighing only about on average. (The bumblebee bat is regarded as the smallest mammal by skull size and body length.) The Etruscan shrew has a body length of about excluding the tail. It is characterized by very rapid movements and a fast metabolism, eating about 1.5–2 times its own body weight per day. It feeds on various small vertebrates and invertebrates, mostly insects, and can hunt individuals of the same size as itself. These shrews prefer warm and damp climates and are widely distributed in the belt between 10° and 45°N latitude stretching from Europe and North Africa to Malaysia. They are also found in the Maltese islands, situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Although widespread and not threatened overall, they are generally uncommon and are endangered in some countries. Descript ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
