The Food of the Common Shrew Sorex araneus L. (Insectivora: Soricidae) in Britain

1. As a preliminary to the analysis of gut contents of wild shrews, laboratory feeding trials were conducted to determine the role of selection in the taking of prey, and to compare the merits of three gut analysis methods. 2. Although distaste was shown for millipedes and molluscs, a general rule emerged of `first encountered, first eaten'. Choice was considered to be of little importance in natural feeding conditions. 3. Fragmentation of prey, unequal digestion time and rapid passage through the gut were shown to limit quantitative gut analysis for shrews. `Presence or absence' was considered a suitable technique for large numbers of guts. 4. Four hundred and forty-four shrew guts from three widely separated parts of Britain were examined and regional and seasonal differences in diet were described. 5. Prey were classed as dominant, secondary and minor on the basis of size and frequency of occurrence. Lumbricidae and Coleoptera adults were dominant in all three areas. Items such as Diptera larvae could rise from relative unimportance to secondary or dominant status in winter guts.