I find it kinda amusing that in German both shrews and bats are named like they're types of mouse. Makes me wonder if there are other animals called -maus too ^^

Oh yes, Fledermaus. Our flying friends aren't really mice either. The German name translates to "fluttermouse". Now that I think about it it makes me laugh. ^^

Sorry for getting sidetracked here, I'm a bit of a language nerd. "fledern" is an archaic term that's no longer used in German except in the context of bats. The modern equivalent is "flattern". Fledermaus is a word that goes back to Old High German from at least the 8th century. Whoever came up with the funny name did so long, long ago. I guess it just stuck.

It's curious, the word Spitzmaus is misleading because shrews aren't mice. They just look somewhat similar. They aren't rodents, they're insectivora, insect eaters. Older and more fitting words for them were Spitzer, Spitzlein, Spitzwicht, Spitzling, which all refer to their pointy nose. :3

From the top of my head there's indeed another misnamed critter in German. The Haselmaus, Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). This one isn't a mouse either but looks a lot like one. Interestingly it has the same name in English too.

Amusingly the word shrew in English can also refer to an ill-tempered, unpleasant woman, but that's unrelated to our fuzzy friend here. It comes from Middle English shrewe for "evil or scolding person". It's used that way in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew.

There's a folk song I once heard called The Shrew Wife, I like that one:

Full eighteen pound pension I have in a year,
Which causes my wife to drink whiskey and beer,
Her tongue like a cannon doth sound in my ear,
Before it's daylight in the morning.

To kindle the fire it is my first job,
If I don't do it I get a smack on the gob,
A kick or a clout or a slap on the nob,
I surely will get from my darling.

My shirt without washing it sticks to my back,
While she is out sporting with Billy or Jack,
And running in score for every nick nack,
Whilst I must pay up my last farthing.

Her beauty and praise to you I'll disclose,
She's dirty and ragged with a short snuffy nose,
She's a disgrace to all women wherever she goes,
Say, what do you think of my darling?

I traveled all nations, through France and through Spain,
Through Egypt and India, and home back again,
At Waterloo wounded, where I felt great pain,
And I never met the match of my darling.

Now to finish my ditty I firmly do pray,
Before that she either drinks whiskey or tea (tay),
That something or other may whip her away,
Before the daylight in the morning.

I got a good laugh out of that. ^^
Sorry for writing such a long comment, I had a lot of fun thinking about all these words. My brain jumps from one thing to another, it's down the rabbit hole. I hope I didn't bore you and that you have a great day either way.

Here are a couple of pictures I've commissioned honouring the humble shrew:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51010348/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/51010348/

Interesting that shrews were identified in folklore as being venomous (but so venomous that their bite could kill a horse!) and it's only fairly recently that scientists took the time to investigate and confirm it.