toots sweet

can anyone confirm what these are......?
Saw one a few weeks ago,when i moved a large pot from the side of the garage and at first thought it was a bird,but it jumped into a nearby bush.
When jumping it was about 6" long so about 4-5" normal length,very pale silvery grey,didn't notice a tail or large ears. Likes burrowing along our garden paths and along the walls of the garage and house(can see the tunnels by the mounds of earth). Also there are small holes about an inch wide. Do we need to worry or take action to remove them.
Seem to be active at night,but have seen earth moving during the day.They are small mounds,but as we have sandy soil ,settle back quite quickly.
I have googled details and my impression is they are shrews,but if anyone knows better.........
Thanks

Pulaski

They sound like Greater White-toothed Shrews, but if so, you are probably over-estimating their size as they are usually reported as only being 6-9cm or 2½"-3½" long, plus their tail.

macliam

Iberian Shrew? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_shrew)

Pulaski

They're even smaller than the GWT Shrew, and only about half the weight.

macliam

Endemic to the area...... I didn't see weight mentioned in the OP.
I think the snout of the GWT shrew would be a thing remembered though....

Pulaski

Toots Sweet reported length, which is a good bit bigger than the characteristic size of a GWT Shrew, and I used weight as a short-hand proxy for size in responding to you, to make the point that the Iberian Shrew is a lot smaller than the GWT Shrew, which is already smaller than what TS described.

chislenko

I suppose if they burrow underground there will probably be a lot in Shrewsbury 😀