Crocidurinae is a subfamily of small mammals in the shrew family Soricidae, which in turn is part of the order Eulipotyphla. A member of this family is called a crocidurine, or a white-toothed shrew. Crocidurinae is one of three subfamilies in Soricidae, along with the African shrews of Myosoricinae and the red-toothed shrews of Soricinae. They are found in Africa, Europe, and Asia, primarily in forests, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands, though some species can also be found in wetlands, rocky areas, or coastal areas. They range in size from the Etruscan shrew, one of the smallest mammal species at 3 cm (1 in) plus a 2 cm (1 in) tail,[1] to the hero shrew and Thor's hero shrew, at 15 cm (6 in) plus a 10 cm (4 in) tail. Crocidurines primarily eat invertebrates, small mammals, frogs, toads, and lizards. Almost no crocidurines have population estimates, but 21 species are categorized as endangered species, while the Andaman shrew, Christmas Island shrew, Harenna shrew, Jenkins's shrew, Nicobar shrew, and Wimmer's shrew are categorized as critically endangered.
The 235 extant species of Crocidurinae are divided into nine genera; 192 of them are in Crocidura, the most species of any mammal genus.[2] A few extinct prehistoric Crocidurinae species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.[3]