A place to share your observations of mammals, reptiles and amphibians in Pembrokeshire. Please give date, what you have seen and where (preferably a grid reference, but a farm/village name or postcode will do), and what it was doing. Send records to rushmoor1 at tiscali.co.uk.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Water Shrew
Dark blue dots show records since 2000
Mid blue dots show records from 1990 - 2000
Light blue dots show records from before 1990 -
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Shrews are rarely seen, and more rarely identified, unless dead. Of the three species in Pembrokeshire, the water shrew is the most-easily identified with its black back and white belly.
Although found most often near water, including small ditches, it can be found almost anywhere. One day a few years ago I was walking along a road and heard a squeaking from the freshly cut grass on a hedgebank. Several juvenile water shrews had been parked in the grass (before it was cut) by their mother, and they would not move until she returned. I did try moving one or two to a more concealed place a few feet away, but they moved back to where they had been originally. More information at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/water_shrew.shtml
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14th August 2009 7pm. I found a dead one on the wooden walkway at Llangoffan Fen, about 50 paces from the entrance gate. The info panel helped confirm the ID. A small puncture wound close to the base of the tail but the rest of its coat dry and intact.
13 July 2014, dead Water Shrew found on Pembs Coast Path north of Newport (between styles 28 & 29)
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