>Taming of the Shrew

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>Taming of the Shrew

February 9, 2011 by Søren

Pardon the title, but on Sunday morning I found this little fellow in the courtyard. I’ve always imagined a shrew to be a wild and fearsome creature, judging by Catherine, The Shrew, in Shakespeare’s play, and I was rather amused when I learned that the animal by that name was such a little cutie.

This particular cutie must have died during the night, but there was no visible signs of it being mauled by a predator. I gently buried it (i.e. threw in on the compost pile) and then started googling. Because one thing is recognising a shrew when you see it, another is knowing whether it’s a good or a bad thing to have shrews in your garden.

Opinions on the internet seems divided; there are a host of shrew-deterrents on sale for gardeners, and on the other hand I read that they each all kinds of insects and slugs, so I’m inclined to live and let live. Last summer I noticed a small hole in the lawn over by the South-Western hedge, and I’m now inclined to think that might have been a shrew hole. I won’t try to cover it up any more…

So there. Deer, pheasants, shrews, a multitude of birds. I look forward to continuously discovering new wildlife in the garden. (But no more slugs, please….)

Posted in Wildlife | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on February 10, 2011 at 5:02 am | Reply gardenwalkgardentalk.com

>Poor fellow. He was so small and cute.
on February 10, 2011 at 7:05 am | Reply Søren

>That he was indeed. Also, I've found out it's a protected species in Denmark, so live and let live is no longer a matter of choice, but of obeying the law.
on February 10, 2011 at 7:50 pm | Reply Alistair

>Well, well, a shrew, we spotted this little creature in a garden centre specialising in water plants and features. We really were not sure what it was, a vole, a small mole, really didn't know and forgot all about it. Imagine reaching this age and not recognising a shrew.
on February 11, 2011 at 4:34 am | Reply natelovestruck

>cute little guy. We have a lot of mice, but I haven't seen a shrew yet. Cool post!
on February 11, 2011 at 6:48 pm | Reply debsgarden

>I'm wasn't so sure. After reading this I had to look it up. I thought shrews might be related to voles. I think it was a vole that took out a bunch of my hostas and chewed the roots off of a Japanese maple in my garden last year. I was glad when it was eaten by a snake! But you are right. Shrews are insect eaters and harmless to garden plants. Thanks for contributing to my education!
on February 12, 2011 at 12:38 am | Reply Patty

>Too bad for the little fella. Maybe it was too cold for him overnight.
on February 12, 2011 at 6:23 am | Reply THE OLD GEEZER

>Greetings from Southern California 🙂 I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.God Bless You, ~Ron
on February 18, 2011 at 1:26 am | Reply la cartonaria

>Years ago when I lived in the Peak District in the UK we had a shrew who visited the kitchen regularly, running along the counter & behind the sink. The farmhouse was old, walls of gritstone & 3 feet thick – difficult to keep out little critters, but the shrew was welcome. They are reputed to have irritable tempers & be fabulously brave for their size…or perhaps that's just the females.
on February 18, 2011 at 6:36 am | Reply Søren

>La Cartonaria, maybe that would explain why fierce women were referred to as shrews in the past, though the little cutie sure doesn't look very fierce…