Intricate pen drawing of a pygmy shrew

June 29, 2024

In a world obsessed with grandiosity, it’s easy to overlook the minuscule marvels right under our noses—or, in this case, at the tip of our pens. 

Did you know that pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) is Ireland’s smallest mammal, measuring only between 4.5 and 6 cm in length, with a tail that can be as long as 5 cm?
It eats one and a quarter times its body weight and feeds every 1 to 3 hours, mostly on spiders and woodlice (what a great helper for those who are not fans of spiders!).

This pen drawing of a cute pygmy shrew was created for a biodiversity and heritage panel for Timahoe, a village in County Laois, Ireland.