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Why do shrews need to eat so often?
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shrew
Water shrew (Neomys anomalus).
Shrews need to eat frequently because they possess exceptionally high metabolic rates. Due to this rapid metabolism, these small mammals may consume more than their own body weight in food every single day.1
Because of these intense energy requirements, shrews cannot survive for more than a few hours without eating, which forces them to spend the vast majority of their lives in a frenetic search for sustenance.1