Sandshrew

The Mouse Pokémon
#027 - Sandshrew
Evolve	Sandslash
Debut	Pokémon: Red Version Pokémon: Green Version
Species Info
Type	+
Height	0.6 m (2'00")
Weight	12.0 kg (26.5 lbs.)
Color	Yellow
Gender Ratio	1♂ : 1♀
Ability	Sand Veil
Hidden Ability
Egg Group	Ground
Icon		Sprite
		File:027sprite.png
Footprint
30px
Base Statistics
Hit Points	50	Speed	40
Attack	75	Sp. Attack	20
Defense	85	Sp. Defense	30
Training Info
Catch Rate	255	Hatch Steps	5,120
Base Exp.	093	Effort Points	Def
Happiness	70
To Lv.100	Normal

Kanto #	Johto #	Hoenn #	Sinnoh #
< 027 >	< 048 >	< 112 >
Unova #	Johto (IV) #

Sandshrew is a pangolin-like Ground Pokémon that was introduced as part of the first generation.

Information

They have a dry hide and dislike water, usually staying in arid, sandy locations. It only survives in such dry places because its body is configured to absorb water without waste, and they also live in desert areas so that they could use the sand to protect themselves from enemies. Sandshrew burrow deep underground and only emerge for food. It can also roll itself into a ball, a technique which protects it from most attacks and can save its life if it falls from a great height, which will cause it to simply bounce. If it gets cold at night, Sandshrew's hide is said to be coated with a fine dew.

Sandshew evolves into Sandslash at Level 22.

Gen		Game	Pokédex entry
I		Red	Burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water. It only emerges to hunt for food.
		Blue
		Yellow	Its body is dry. When it gets cold at night, its hide is said to become coated with a fine dew.
		Stadium	When hunting, it hides at the lip of its burrow. If prey comes close, it lunges out and drags in the prey instantly.
II		Gold	If it fell from a great height, this Pokémon could save itself by rolling into a ball and bouncing.
		Silver	Disliking water, it lives in deep burrows in arid areas. It can roll itself instantly into a ball.
		Crystal	It prefers dry, sandy places because it uses the sand to protect itself when threatened.
III		Ruby	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.
		Sapphire	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.
		Emerald	When it curls up in a ball, it can make any attack bounce off harmlessly. Its hide has turned tough and solid as a result of living in the desert.
		FireRed	It burrows and lives underground. If threatened, it curls itself up into a ball for protection.
		LeafGreen	Burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water. It only emerges to hunt for food.
IV		Diamond	To protect itself from attackers, it curls up into a ball. It lives in arid regions with minimal rainfall.
		Pearl	To protect itself from attackers, it curls up into a ball. It lives in arid regions with minimal rainfall.
		Platinum

Appearances

Mainstream Games

In Pokémon: Blue and LeafGreen, Sandshrew are commonly found on Routes 4, 11 and 23. In Yellow, they appear uncommonly at Routes 3 and 4 as well as Mt. Moon. In LeafGreen, Sandshrew also appear uncommonly at Routes 8, 9, 10 and 22.

In Gold and Crystal, Sandshrew uncommonly appears at Routes 4 and 32, Union Cave and Mt. Moon, while in HeartGold it only appears in Union Cave and Mt. Moon. In Silver and SoulSilver, it could be won as a prize at the Goldenrod Game Corner for 700 coins. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Sandshrew also appeared in the Desert area of the Safari Zone.

In Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, Sandshrew could be uncommonly found at Routes 111 and 113. In Emerald, they were more common and also appeared at Mirage Tower. In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Sandshrew appeared in the Wayward Cave whenever a LeafGreen cartridge was in the GBA slot following the National Pokédex being unlocked.

Other Games

In Pokémon Snap, Sandshrew appeared in the Valley area. In Pokémon Pinball, they could be caught at Mt. Moon, Vermilion City Streets, Rock Mountain, Saffron City and Indigo Plateau. Sandshrew are featured in the Pokémon Stadium minigame "Dig! Dig! Dig!", in which four Sandshrew compete in burrowing to reach a water reservoir. Sandshrew also appears in Pokémon Stadium 2 and Pokémon Colosseum. In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Sandshrew could be caught at the Rock Poké Spot and later be transferred to any of the third generation color versions.

In Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, Sandshrew could only be acquired by hatching it from an egg. In Pokémon Trozei!, it appears at Secret Storage 2, Huge Storage 3, Endless Level 9 and Mr. Who's Den. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Teams, it could be found at the first six levels of Magma Cavern, the thirty-sixth through fifty-ninth floors of Buried Relic, the first six floors of Desert Region and the sixty-eighth through seventy-third floors of Joyous Tower. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness, it appears at the first fifteen floors of Northern Desert and the first nine floors of Shimmer Desert.

Sandshrew appears at the Chroma Ruins in Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, and at the Daybreak Ruins and Mitonga Road in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs. In Pokémon Rumble, Sandshrew appears at Rocky Cave.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sandshrew appears as a Novice-rank Support Spirit that allows the player to start battles equipped with the Screw Attack item. When fought against in a Spirit battle, Sandshrew's Spirit would possess a small Bowser in a battle where the Pitfall item frequently appeared.

Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, a Sandshrew was featured in one episode where a young trainer named AJ put one through tough and rigorous exercises. Although Ash believed this treatment to border on abuse, Sandshrew was still deathly loyal to AJ in battle. It sometimes wears something called a "strength intensifier". Various other Sandshrew have made minor appearances in the anime, and one Sinnoh episode involved Ash's friends helping Mira to recover her lost Sandshrew that was trapped in a flooded area (within its Pokéball).
• Sandshrew have occasionally been used in the Pokémon Adventures manga. A junior trainer at Brock's gym used one against Red, and Red was later shown to have his own Sandshrew that he only used once in a battle with Magmar. Later on, Sandshrew was shown as one of the Pokémon at Gold's house in the Gold/Silver arc, although he did not use it for battle.

Trivia

• Sandshrew's name is a combination of "sand" and "shrew" (which refers to a rodent-like animal).