New shrew!

2026-05-16

A new species of endemic dwarf shrew was recently discovered in the Ethiopian highlands. Named "Stanley's white-toothed shrew" after late evolutionary biologist Bill Stanley, this tiny shrewlet weighs just 3 grams and is one of the smallest mammals in the world.

New shrews are shrewsic to our ears!

A close-up photo of a tiny Stanley's white-toothed shrew, a new species recently discovered in Ethiopia. The shrew is a muted brown, with a pointy, tapered snout and long whiskers. In classic shrew fashion, the eyes are so small they appear nonexistent. It's a very cute and good shrew.

Sources

New species discovered: One of the world's smallest mammals". www.slu.se. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
Craig, Evan W.; Bryjová, Anna; Bryja, Josef; Meheretu, Yonas; Lavrenchenko, Leonid A.; Peterhans, Julian C. Kerbis (2025-08-20). "Integrative taxonomic revision of endemic dwarf shrews from the Ethiopian Highlands". Journal of Vertebrate Biology. 74 (25031). doi:10.25225/jvb.25031. ISSN 2694-7684.
daniel.graham@ourmedia.co.uk (2026-01-19). "Tiny mammal the weight of a sugar cube discovered in Ethiopian highland] – and it's totally new to science". Discover Wildlife. Retrieved 2026-02-12.