හික් මීයා/කුනු මීයා[Hik Meeya/Kunu Meeya]/Common Musk Shrew/House Shrew (Suncus murinus)

Common Musk Shrew is the most common, widespread and also largest of the ten species of shrews in Sri Lanka. It inhabits houses even in large cities throughout the island as well as some of the off-shore islets (Phillips W.W.A. 1980). During the day time it hides in crevices of walls, boxes, piles of goods and emerges in the evening. It is a nocturnal animal and it is said that because of its high metabolic rate shrew eat its own body weight of food in the course of a night. House Shrew is a carnivores animal and it preys on geckos, worms, scorpions  insects [ex: cockroaches], spiders and even small mammals - sometime bigger than its own size - like mice, frogs and snakes. It also eats grains such as rice and fruits when others foods are scarce. It is believed that House Shrew is not indigenous to the Sri Lanka and has been imported many years ago with goods from Indian port cities (Phillips W.W.A. 1980). House Shrew is an animal beneficial to the man since it preys upon most noxious animal live in houses and also driving away rodents.