Sandshrew is a bipedal pholidote Pokémon, but runs on all fours in the anime. Its brick-patterned yellow hide is dry, and tough, blends in with desert sand, and protects its soft white underbelly and muzzle. 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 lunge and drag in passing Bug-type Pokémon. 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. It also lives deep underground in nests it has created from digging tunnels. Should hard rocks get in the way of digging, Sandshrew will use its sharp claws to remove them before continuing to dig. If it is too wet, its skin becomes wrinkly. It dries itself out by using the geothermal heat near a volcano. It is also known to bathe in sand, which helps remove dirt and moisture from its body.
Alolan Sandshrew[]
In the Alola region, Sandshrew migrated to snowy mountains due to the volcanic activity near the desert areas. Its body is a light, icy blue, with a cream-colored belly and muzzle. Thicker plates form a dome around its head and its ears resemble an igloo's entrances. In adapting to this cold climate, its body became larger and heavier with a shell of hard ice covering its hide. The shell is also made of very hard steel.
This steel-like covering grants it extra defense from predators like Sneasel, but it is unable to curl into a ball like its desert counterpart; smarter predators such as Weavile exploit its soft underbelly. Alolan Sandshrew can burrow itself in the snow to avoid being blown away by blizzards. Its claws allow it to move without slipping on icy surfaces, but it slides on its stomach when it needs to move quickly. A traditional Alolan custom during festivals is a competition to see who can slide Alolan Sandshrew across the ice the farthest.
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'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.
Normal - It can roll its body into a ball. It moves through the desert by rolling at high speeds. Alola - It lives on snowy mountains. Its steel shell is very hard—so much so, it can’t roll its body up into a ball.
Normal - It usually makes its home in deserts and arid zones, where rain does not fall. It digs holes to catch Bug-type Pokémon. Alola - An ancient tradition of Alolan festivals, still carried on to this day, is a competition to slide Sandshrew across ice as far as one can.