Greater white-toothed shrew identified in Britain for first time after being found in Sunderland
A species of shrew has been identified for the first time in Britain after a Sunderland cat owner posted a picture of it on social media after her pet caught it.
The greater white-toothed shrew was confirmed by a DNA test after Jeff the cat came across the creature in 2021.
If it becomes established, it will be the first new mammal species in Britain since the American Mink in the 1920s.
Melissa Young posted the picture of the shrew found by her cat on social media, prompting ecologist Ian Bond to get in touch to say it looked like a white-toothed shrew.
As a result, she kept the shrew in her freezer until a DNA test could be carried out.
Ms Young, who is a is a biodiversity expert at the Washington Wetland Centre, said: "I think 99.9% of people, if their cat caught a shrew they wouldn’t think anything of it, but because I have an interest in it I thought 'that’s a bit odd'."
The shrew is present in the Channel Islands and is known to be an invasive species in Ireland. While photos of the species in the area date back to at least 2015, it had never been confirmed in Great Britain before.
Mr Bond said: “White-toothed shrews look fairly distinctive with a head more closely resembling Finger Mouse or the Clangers than a normal shrew. The problem with that identification was that they have never occurred on the British mainland before.”
A subsequent DNA test, undertaken by Ecotype Genetics and Swift Ecology Ltd, confirmed it to be the greater white-toothed shrew.
The Mammal Society’s Allan McDevitt said: “Given the rapid spread of the greater white-toothed shrew in Ireland, it is no surprise that it has eventually found its way to mainland Great Britain.
"This is a worrying development however as this invasive shrew is clearly associated with the local disappearance of the native pygmy shrew in Ireland. It is known to outcompete other species of shrews on other islands, so it is urgent that its distribution and potential impacts on other shrew species is quickly assessed."
There is no indication of how the shrews arrived in Britain, let alone in Ms Young’s garden.
A further trawl back through Ms Young’s posts show photos of White-toothed Shrews since at least 2015.
This means this species could be quite widespread by now without anyone having noticed.
Research is underway to find out just how far the shrew, nicknamed the Sunderland Shrew, may have arrived.
Ms Young said: “I’ve always kept my cats indoors to reduce their impact on wildlife, so I was really surprised when they regularly started catching shrews.
"Thankfully, most were able to escape without injury, but the opportunity to study those that didn’t make it has led to this invaluable discovery.
"For me, it highlights how little we know about our wildlife in the North East.
“I think the key thing is if someone’s cat brings in a shrew, if they can take a photograph of it- particularly the teeth, then upload it via the mammal society app, then we can start tracking the population."
She also added Jeff the cat was very pleased with himself.
The Mammal Society said the incident showed how important it is to submit records, as mammals are some of the most under-recorded species in Britain.
Any unusual shrew sitings can be submitted via Mammal Mapper or on iRecord.
Gavin Measures, Invasive Non-Native Species lead at Natural England said: “This is a fantastic example of how important it is to be vigilant for invasive species in our gardens, parks and green spaces.
"We greatly encourage everyone to take part in citizen science as it supports the vital work of Natural England to protect the environment. This non-native shrew has had a negative effect on the Irish ecosystem.
"Evidence of this species in the United Kingdom now requires further investigation to establish how widespread it is, and any possible impact on our small mammal community."
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