|zh_cmn=穿山鼠 ''Chuānshānshǔ''|zh_cmnmeaning=A portmanteau of {{wp|Pangolin|{{tt|穿山甲|pangolin}}}} and {{tt|鼠|mouse}}. Literally "Mouse that passes through mountains"
|zh_cmn=穿山鼠 ''Chuānshānshǔ''|zh_cmnmeaning=A portmanteau of {{wp|Pangolin|{{tt|穿山甲|pangolin}}}} and {{tt|鼠|mouse}}. Literally "Mouse that passes through mountains"
|hi=सांडश्रु ''Sandshrew''|himeaning=Transcription of English name
|hi=सांडश्रु ''Sandshrew''|himeaning=Transcription of English name
|lt=Smėlius|Translation from English name
|ru=Сэндшрю ''Sendshryu''|rumeaning=Transcription of English name
|ru=Сэндшрю ''Sendshryu''|rumeaning=Transcription of English name
|th=แซนด์ ''Sand''|thmeaning=Transcription of Japanese name
|th=แซนด์ ''Sand''|thmeaning=Transcription of Japanese name
Sandshrew is a bipedal mammalian Pokémon, but runs on all fours in the anime. Its yellow hide is dry, tough, blends in with desert sand, and has a brick pattern, but its underbelly and muzzle are white. Sandshrew has blue, almond-shaped eyes, a pointed snout, and triangular ears with white insides. Its tail is thick and conical. It has two long claws on each foot and three sharp claws on its forepaws, which are used to burrow.
Sandshrew spends much of its time hidden underground in deep burrows. It only emerges to hunt, which it does by waiting within its burrow to instantly lunge out and drag in passing prey. Sandshrew can quickly curl into a tight ball to protect itself from great falls and opponents, but may also throw sand at attackers. While its body can efficiently absorb water to facilitate life in the desert, Sandshrew has been found in caves as well.
In the anime
Sandshrew in the animeA Sandshrew Egg in the anime
Major appearances
Sandshrew was first featured in The Path to the Pokémon League. It was owned by a Pokémon Trainer named A.J.. Despite A.J.'s seemingly barbaric training methods (e.g. using a whip, training in a pool), it was very loyal to him.
A Sandshrew was one of the Pokémon that played Hide-n-Seek in Pikachu's PikaBoo. Sandshrew camouflaged itself in front of a brick wall.
Mira enlisted Ash and his friends to help her retrieve her Sandshrew that was lost at the bottom of an artificial lake created by a dammed river in Sandshrew's Locker!.
Minor appearances
Ash Ketchum and Pikachu pass three Sandshrew in Pokémon - I Choose You! while being chased by a flock of wild Spearow.
An ailing Sandshrew is seen briefly near the beginning of Clefairy and the Moon Stone. It was seen lying down, which Seymour described as it "drying out" because of the significant increase of light sources inside Mt. Moon.
Sandshrew's body is configured to absorb water without waste, enabling it to survive in an arid desert. This Pokémon curls up to protect itself from its enemies.
Sandshrew has a very dry hide that is extremely tough. The Pokémon can roll into a ball that repels any attack. At night, it burrows into the desert sand to sleep.
Sandshrew's body is configured to absorb water without waste, enabling it to survive in an arid desert. This Pokémon curls up to protect itself from its enemies.
Sandshrew has a very dry hide that is extremely tough. The Pokémon can roll into a ball that repels any attack. At night, it burrows into the desert to sleep.
Sandshrew and its evolution share their category name with Rattata, Raticate, Pikachu, and Raichu. They are all known as the Mouse Pokémon, though Rattata and Raticate have also been called the Rat Pokémon.
Sandshrew is based on the pangolin, a mammal that curls up into a ball, has sharp claws, and lives in desert regions. Both Sandshrew and Sandslash are mentioned to have poisonous claws, similar to how some species of the shrew are poisonous. Sandshrew also closely resembles an armadillo.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Quick Claw (5%)
Grip Claw (5%)
For other sprites and images, please see Sandshrew images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
