Crocidura russula
Silhouette: Inessa Voet · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) is a small insectivorous mammal found in Europe and North Africa. It is the most common of the white-toothed shrews. This species is found along the Mediterranean, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Germany and Portugal; in addition, the Osorio shrew of the Canary island of Gran Canaria, originally described as a separate species (Crocidura osorio), was later discovered to be a population of introduced greater white-toothed shrew. Furthermore, a subspecies of the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula ibicensis, is found on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. In April 2008, the greater white-toothed shrew was discovered in Ireland as well, and in 2021 in England, discovered by a cat named Jeff. Its preferred habitats are grassland and woodland. It is slightly larger than the lesser white-toothed shrew but otherwise very similar and can often be distinguished only by close inspection of its teeth which are unpigmented.
The greater white-toothed shrew is distinguished by a careful examination of its unpigmented teeth. Like other white-toothed shrews, C. russula lacks the deposition of iron in their enamel... Wikipedia →
Defensive call0:18
Netherlands · 2024
© Daan Drukker · XC959759 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recording0:25
Netherlands · 2023
© Brenda · Observation.org, Nature data from around the World · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recording0:05
Netherlands · 2025
© Jace van der Willik · Observation.org, Nature data from around the World · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater White-toothed Shrew sighting in Essen on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 13th most-seen of the 13 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, May, July and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater White-toothed Shrew in Essen on a given day, against under 5% in April, June, August and October–February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater White-toothed Shrew sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Greater White-toothed Shrew sightings, Essen has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Porto (Portugal, about 10%) and Paris (France, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater White-toothed Shrew is recorded against all the mammals logged in Essen (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
