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Establishing and Maintaining an Etruscan Shrew Colony
Beatrice Geyer1, Nancy A Erickson2,3, Katja Müller4
1Humboldt-University zu Berlin, Technical Division, Animal Welfare, Berlin, Germany.
Summary
Establishing a successful Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) colony requires specialized husbandry. This research details methods for a thriving colony, improving animal well-being and research potential.
Area of Science:
- Zoology
- Animal Science
- Laboratory Animal Science
Background:
- The Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), a tiny mammal, is valuable in physiological, behavioral, and neuroscience research.
- Maintaining laboratory colonies of Etruscan shrews is difficult due to unique husbandry needs distinct from common lab animals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the successful establishment and maintenance of a long-term Etruscan shrew colony.
- To outline the specific husbandry requirements for optimal Etruscan shrew well-being in a research setting.
Main Methods:
- Established a colony of 150-200 Etruscan shrews from 36 founders over 15 years.
- Utilized specialized enclosures with soil-sand bedding, hideouts, and nesting materials.
- Provided daily live feed (e.g., crickets, mealworms) due to high metabolic rates.
Main Results:
- Achieved a stable, thriving colony with improved life expectancy and litter sizes compared to wild populations.
- Observed year-round breeding independent of seasons.
- A breeding pair consistently produced 2-6 offspring with an average lifespan exceeding 3 years.
Conclusions:
- Successful long-term Etruscan shrew colony establishment is feasible with tailored husbandry.
- Specific environmental and dietary provisions are critical for Etruscan shrew health and welfare in research.
- This study provides a blueprint for housing and breeding Etruscan shrews, supporting their use in scientific research.
