Although there are almost 30 species of shrews in North America, there are only a few species that live in this part of the state. All are small (1 to 4 inches long) and have soft dark fur. They are active throughtout the day and night, although they are seldom seen above ground. They eat more than their weight in food each day, and will feed on insects, mollusks, earthworms, even carrion. The Least Shrew, Cryptotis parva is Georgia's smallest mammal. The Short-tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda is a unique mammal, as it has venomous sliva.