Review of winter trophic relations of soricine shrews

This paper attempts to review all those factors that affect the winter trophic relations of soricines in northern, Holarctic areas, from physiological and ecological aspects to prey and predators. Winter is generally a time of food scarcity and low temperatures, often accompanied by snow cover. Winter shrews are characterized by decreased metabolic rates, longer periods in the nest, short foraging periods and the subsequent decreased need to forage. In smaller species the diet generally consists of epigean fauna, while in larger species hypogean fauna is also included, the proportions of which vary seasonally. In areas of snow cover their diets are derived from the subnivean fauna, i.e. soil and litter fauna, overwintering on the soil surface, and consist of many insects, especially beetles, arachnids, small vertebrates and carrion. Their predators include owls and, to a lesser extent, weasels and foxes.