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The Etruscan shrew is one of the world's smallest mammals, native to the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia. Despite its tiny size, it's notable for having an exceptionally high metabolic rate and being one of the fastest eaters among mammals, allowing it to survive on a diet of insects and other small prey.
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Species
Maximum longevity: 3.2 years (captivity) Observations: These are one of the smallest living mammals, if not the smallest. Longevity has not been studied in detail in captivity due to difficulties in keeping these animals in captivity. One captive specimen lived 3.2 years, though (Richard Weigl 2005). Maximum longevity may still be underestimated.
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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 1.8 g (0.063 oz) on average - as much as a paperclip. (The bumblebee bat is regarded as the smallest mammal by skull size and body length.)
The Etruscan shrew has a body length of about 4 cm (1.6 in) 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.