Transcaucasian water shrew
Neomys teres
James Eaton · Mkinvartsveri Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 83–101 mm, 11–28 g
- Diet
- Aquatic and land invertebrates
- Status in Georgia
- Native, few data
- Habitat
- Mountain stream banks, up to 2500 m
- Family
- Soricidae
- Conservation
- DD / LC
The Transcaucasian water shrew (Neomys teres) is the largest of the living species of the water shrew genus (Neomys), weighing 11–28 g. It is semi-aquatic: its feet carry swimming fringes of stiff hairs, and its tail has a keel underneath. It lives on the banks of small mountain rivers and streams, in the forest belt and on alpine meadows, up to 2500 m. In the water and on the bank it hunts insects, earthworms and small freshwater crustaceans. In Georgia its status could not be assessed for lack of data (DD); globally it is rated Least Concern (LC). If you see a dark, mouse-sized animal diving into a stream, it may well be this shrew.
Identification
Transcaucasian water shrew: how to identify it
A large, dark shrew with long, dense fur. The back is blackish brown with a grey or silvery tinge, the belly pale grey. The eyes are hidden in the fur. The stiff-haired fringes on its feet and the keel on the end half of its tail mark it as a water animal.
Head and body are 83–101 mm long, the tail 58–73 mm, the hind foot 18.2–22.1 mm, and it weighs 11–28 g. It is larger than the other living species of its genus. The tail is usually longer than 65% of head-and-body length.
Underneath the end half of the tail it has a well-developed keel of stiff hairs. The edges of the feet carry swimming fringes of stiff hairs too. Both help it swim.
The fur is longer and denser than in other water shrews. The back is blackish brown with a faint grey or silvery tinge. The belly is pale grey, sometimes with a yellowish or greyish-brown tinge. A pale spot behind the eye is barely visible, and the tail ranges from two-toned to pale and one-coloured.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
It lives on the banks of small mountain rivers and streams, in the mixed and coniferous forest belt or on alpine meadows, up to 2500 m. It likes dense, tall vegetation by the water. It avoids large rivers, especially those with bare banks. It prefers clean, fast-flowing streams. In Georgia its records cover many mountain sites: Borjomi, Bakuriani, Akhaltsikhe, Akhalkalaki, Tsalka, Dmanisi, Lagodekhi, Pasanauri, Pshavi, Ushguli, Mtirala, Kharagauli and the Marukhi Pass. It is also known from around Tbilisi. Its extent of occurrence is more than 20,000 km².
The Transcaucasian water shrew map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Records are still too few: no region has enough records yet.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It feeds on aquatic and land invertebrates. On land it takes earthworms, beetles, flies, spiders and harvestmen, sometimes caterpillars. In the water it hunts water lice (Asellus), freshwater shrimps and caddisfly larvae. No vertebrate remains have been found in its stomachs. Like other species of its genus, it may be able to stun its prey, but this has not been studied.
It is semi-aquatic. In summer it is active mostly at night and at dusk; in winter it switches to the daytime, in the morning and afternoon. There are no data on its movements, home range or social life. The young are born from May to August. A litter holds 2–9 young, six on average.
In Georgia the status of the Transcaucasian water shrew could not be assessed for lack of data (DD, 2021 national assessment). Its population trend is unknown. Globally it is rated Least Concern (LC, 2016). Its numbers are nowhere high, but it is a common species. It depends on clean mountain streams and dense vegetation along their banks.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes, it is a native species and has been found in many mountainous parts of the country. Records come from Borjomi, Bakuriani, Lagodekhi, Pasanauri, Ushguli, Mtirala and other places. The species is endemic to the Caucasus and neighbouring areas.
The edges of its feet carry swimming fringes of stiff hairs, and the underside of its tail has a keel of hairs. Both help it swim. It is semi-aquatic and finds part of its food in the water.
Aquatic and land invertebrates. On the bank it catches earthworms, beetles, flies and spiders. In the water it hunts water lice, freshwater shrimps and caddisfly larvae. It does not seem to eat vertebrates.
No, it is not dangerous to people. It is a shy animal that hides in dense vegetation by streams. Do not catch it: watch it from a distance.
In Georgia its status could not be assessed for lack of data (DD); globally it is rated Least Concern (LC). Its numbers are nowhere high. What it needs most is clean streams and dense bankside vegetation.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
