Humboldt-University zu Berlin, Technical Division, Animal Welfare, Berlin, Germany.
MF 3, Animal Facility, Method Development and Research Infrastructure, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2022 Jan 1;61(1):52-60. doi: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-21-000068. Epub 2021 Nov 12.
The Etruscan shrew () is one of the smallest mammals on earth and is used in many fields of research, including physiology, behavioral science and neuroscience. However, establishing and maintaining a breeding colony of this species in the laboratory can be challenging, as it requires specific husbandry conditions that greatly differ from those of more common laboratory species such as mice or rats. Over the past 15 y, we have successfully established a long-term thriving colony of 150 to 200 animals originating from 36 founders. The colony shows longer life expectancy and larger litter sizes than wild conspecifics. Breeding occurs year-round, independent of seasons, and a breeding pair can regularly produce 2 to 6 offspring with an average life expectancy of more than 3 y. The shrews are housed in glass or plastic enclosures on a specific soil-sand-mixture bedding and are provided with hideouts and nesting material consisting of moss, wood, or bark. Due to their high basal metabolic rate, the shrews require food intake greater than their body weight per day, can hunt arthropods as large as themselves, and cannot survive more than a few hours without food. Live feed such as crickets or mealworms is crucial and must be provided daily or, at the very least, every 2 d. Although our husbandry practices have constantly been adapted and refined, shrew husbandry remains challenging, and great care is necessary to meet the specific needs of this species. Here, we describe the establishment of a long-term stable colony of Etruscan shrews in a research animal facility and the specific husbandry requirements for animal wellbeing.
伊特鲁里亚鼩鼱（）是世界上最小的哺乳动物之一，被广泛应用于生理学、行为科学和神经科学等多个研究领域。然而，在实验室中建立和维持该物种的繁殖群体可能具有挑战性，因为它需要特定的饲养条件，这些条件与更常见的实验室物种（如小鼠或大鼠）有很大的不同。在过去的 15 年中，我们成功地建立了一个由 36 只亲代繁殖而来的、长期繁荣的 150 到 200 只动物的繁殖群体。该群体表现出比野生同物种更长的预期寿命和更大的产仔数。繁殖全年进行，不受季节影响，一对繁殖对通常可以产生 2 到 6 只后代，平均预期寿命超过 3 年。鼩鼱被安置在玻璃或塑料围栏中，使用特定的土壤-沙混合物作为垫料，并提供藏身之处和由苔藓、木材或树皮制成的筑巢材料。由于其基础代谢率较高，鼩鼱每天需要摄入的食物量超过其体重，能够捕食与自身大小相当的节肢动物，并且如果没有食物，它们最多只能存活几个小时。活饲料如蟋蟀或黄粉虫是至关重要的，必须每天提供，或者至少每两天提供一次。尽管我们的饲养实践不断得到调整和完善，但鼩鼱的饲养仍然具有挑战性，需要特别注意以满足该物种的特定需求。在这里，我们描述了在研究动物设施中建立一个长期稳定的伊特鲁里亚鼩鼱繁殖群体以及满足动物福利所需的特定饲养要求。
