, ▁the ▁E tr us can ▁sh rew ▁has ▁an ▁extremely ▁fast ▁met abol ism ▁and ▁must ▁eat ▁ 1 . 5 – 2 . 0 ▁times ▁its ▁body ▁weight ▁in ▁food ▁per ▁day . ▁It ▁fe eds ▁mostly ▁on ▁various ▁in verte br ates , ▁including ▁insect s , ▁lar va e ▁and ▁earth w orm s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁young ▁of ▁am ph ib ians , ▁l iz ards ▁and ▁rod ents , ▁and ▁can ▁h unt ▁pre y ▁of ▁nearly ▁the ▁same ▁body ▁size ▁as ▁itself . ▁It ▁pre fers ▁species ▁with ▁a ▁soft , ▁thin ▁ex os ke leton , ▁so ▁it ▁avoid s ▁an ts ▁when ▁given ▁a ▁choice . ▁Gr ass ho ppers , ▁where ▁common , ▁are ▁often ▁regular ▁pre y . ▁It ▁k ills ▁large ▁pre y ▁by ▁a ▁b ite ▁to ▁the ▁head ▁and ▁e ats ▁it ▁immediately , ▁but ▁takes ▁small ▁insect s ▁back ▁to ▁its ▁nest . ▁When ▁hunting , ▁it ▁re lies ▁mostly ▁on ▁its ▁sense ▁of ▁touch ▁rather ▁than ▁vision , ▁and ▁may ▁even ▁run ▁into ▁its ▁food ▁at ▁night . ▁ ▁Pred ators ▁and ▁thre ats ▁The ▁largest ▁threat ▁to ▁E tr us can ▁sh rew s ▁origin ates ▁from ▁human ▁activities , ▁particularly ▁destruction ▁of ▁their ▁nest ing ▁grounds ▁and ▁habit ats ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁far ming . ▁E tr us can ▁sh rew s ▁are ▁also ▁sensitive ▁to ▁weather ▁changes , ▁such ▁as ▁cold ▁winter s ▁and ▁dry ▁periods . ▁Major ▁pred ators ▁are