SHREWS

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Shrews are small mammals in the family Soricidae and as such are not rodents. The most common shrew in Myanmar is the Asian House Shrew (Suncus Murinus), which is classified under the sub-family Crocidurinae (white-toothed shrews). Like rodents, shrews have very high reproductive rates and females can produce up to ten litters in a year, with litter sizes of 4 - 6 young. In common with rodents they are also very intelligent. They have the highest metabolic rate of all known animals and consequently are voracious eaters, eating mainly insects, but also seeds, nuts, worms, frogs and even some rodents. The Asian House Shrew is abundantly present in Myanmar and although they cause no direct harm to humans, they do carry ticks which can pass Lyme disease to humans (short-term flu-like symptoms with more serious longer term effects such as arthritis, nerve-pain and short term memory loss). As well as Lyme disease, the bubonic plague bacteria, Yersinia Pestis, is carried by rat fleas, harboured by shrews and if transmitted to humans and left untreated can cause death.