What Is The Gestation Period Of The Shrew?
The gestation period in most shrew species is between two and three weeks and the offspring are then given their mother’s milk for about the same length of time. Tropical shrews breed throughout the year; those living in temperate climates normally breed from March to October. The breeding rate is high and shrews have litters with up to 10 young being born at once. Females often mate again within just a few days of giving birth and one female can have several litters – sometimes as many as 10 – in the course of one year. Newborn shrews are hairless and totally blind. The care of the babies is left exclusively to the female – the males form no bond with their offspring and move off in search of another partner straight after mating. Once the young are weaned at about 3 weeks to a month old, they must then fend for themselves.
