The Common Shrew (Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758)

If you are looking at a specific animal named araneus authored by Linnaeus in 1758, you are likely looking at the Common Shrew. Carl Linnaeus officially described and classified this small mammal in the foundational 10th edition of Systema Naturae (1758). Because it eats insects and bugs, ancient folks sometimes associated shrews with spiders or believed they had a venomous, spider-like bite, which is why Linnaeus gave it the specific name araneus. [1, 2]