Intentional bite injury: This generally happens during fights and can result in a wide range of injuries from minor bruising to partial loss of body parts (for example, ears or nose). 7. This is the key to how such a small mammal can take down a target much bigger than themselves. The shrew lacks hollow fangs (as in venomous snakes) but in its place has a gland that allows saliva to flow with the venom. Though not fatal, it will leave a nasty sore and in some cases make the victim feel sick for a day or two. Human bites can be either accidental or intentional. These tiny mammals are fast, nervous and fearless when it comes to confronting predators and humans. Elliot’s short-tailed shrew The key to its venom is a … If a shrew were to bite a human, this would cause pain and swelling. Additionally, shrews bite. ANIMAL BITES AND RABIES RISK: A GUIDE FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Table 2: Guidelines for Managing Animal Bites and Bat Encounters in Humans *MDH epidemiologists are available 24/7 to healthcare providers and veterinarians at 651-201-5414 to discuss management of possible rabies exposure in humans. Southern short-tailed shrews can either bite and then drag their prey home or feast on the prey in the wild. Unfortunately, this can also be an injury seen in child abuse, sexual abuse, and self-mutilation. Was the bite wound properly washed with soap and water? Some of the natural predators to this shrew include foxes owls, skunks and some types of snakes. The short-tailed shrew is the only North American mammal with a poisonous bite. That's a cool fact, but too bad for an unfortunate snake! If a shrew has been spotted inside the home, the best thing to do is to contact a pest control facility in order to have the shrew removed from the property. Shrew bites on humans are painful but are not deadly. Those bites can paralyze other animals and cause significant pain to humans who receive a bite. Many species of shrews can deliver a toxic venom with this bite so I advise you to not let any pet (or human) play with shrews. On the rare occasion a shrew bites a person, the wound may swell and be painful for a few days. This poisonous bite has been reported from North American Blarina and European Neomys. I’m sure that with the shot of tetanus you would have also received a course of antibiotics to prevent would infection. Although a shrew bite can mean the end for an earthworm, a juvenile mouse, or even another shrew, humans don’t have much to fear. Shrews such as the Short-tailed Shrew have some venom in their bite, which will paralyze their prey. Shrew bite the heads off crickets and grasshoppers in order to eat their internal organs. If that has been done, the chances for getting rabies should be low. 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