Güldenstädt's shrew
Güldenstädt's shrew (Crocidura gueldenstaedtii) is a small mammal in the shrew family. Some classifications have grouped it with the lesser white-toothed shrew, but most recent studies treat it as a separate species. It is named after the explorer Johann Anton Güldenstädt.
Conservation status: Least Concern.
Where it lives: It ranges across Europe from Spain to Russia and extends south through the Caucasus to the Middle East, reaching as far south as the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
Ancient connections: Mummified shrews found in Quesna, Egypt, from the early Ptolemaic Period have been identified as this species, showing it once lived in the Nile Delta. That area was moister in ancient times.
Subspecies: Several subspecies have been described in western Europe and Cyprus, which may actually be distinct species.
Taxonomy: Kingdom Animalia; Phylum Chordata; Class Mammalia; Order Eulipotyphla; Family Soricidae; Genus Crocidura; Species gueldenstaedtii. Binomial name Crocidura gueldenstaedtii (Pallas, 1811). Synonyms include Crocidura suaveolens gueldenstaedtii and Sorex gueldenstaedtii.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:32 (CET).