Sicilian shrew
The Sicilian shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Sicily and Gozo. Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland.
It is present in Sicily and Ustica ', in the Egadi Islands ' and in Gozo . It lives in open environments of gariga or Mediterranean scrub but also within lyce, cork and beech forest formations, from above sea level. Sometimes it is also present within citrus groves and cultivated areas as well as, rarely, in rural dwellings.
Subspecies
Four subspecies of the Sicilian shrew are found:Crocidura sicula sicula - on the island of SicilyCrocidura sicula aegatensis - on the Aegadian IslandsCrocidura sicula calypso - on the island of GozoCrocidura sicula esuae - a fossil form from the Middle Pleistocene of Sicily, larger than living individuals, though other authors have suggested that this represents an extinct species that was replaced by ''C. sicula.''
Maltese Occurrence
The Maltese subspecies Crocidura sicula calypso is found on Gozo and has also been recorded on Comino, but is absent from mainland Malta. Known locally as il-ġurdien geddumu twil ta' Għawdex, it lives in scrub, garigue and farmland, is mainly nocturnal, and is protected under Maltese and EU law due to threats such as pesticides and predation by cats.