027
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Sandshrew
サンド (Sando)
Mouse Pokmon
Ground
SAND-shroo
2'00"
26 lbs.
Burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water. It only emerges to hunt for food.
Its body is dry. When it gets cold at night, its hide is said to become coated with a fine dew.
50
75
85
40
30
280
Water (2x), Grass (2x), and Ice (2x)
Normal (1x), Fighting (1x), Flying (1x), Ground (1x), Bug (1x), Ghost (1x), Fire (1x), Psychic (1x), and Dragon (1x)
Poison (½x), and Rock (½x)
Electric (0x)
None
Trade
Few
Routes 4, 11, and 23
Uncommon
Routes 3, and 4, Mt. Moon
Scratch
Start
Start
Normal
40
100%
35 (max. 56)
Hard, pointed, and sharp claws rake the foe to inflict damage.
Sand-Attack
10
10
Ground
-
100%
15 (max. 24)
Sand is hurled in the foe's face, reducing its accuracy.
Slash
17
17
Nomrmal
70
100%
20 (max. 32)
The foe is attacked with a slash of claws, etc. It has a high critical-hit ratio.
Poison Sting
24
24
Poison
15
100%
35 (max. 56)
The foe is stabbed with a poisonous barb of some sort. It may also poison the target.
Swift
31
31
Normal
60
-%
20 (max. 32)
Star-shaped rays are shot at the foe. This attack never misses.
Fury Swipes
38
38
Normal
18
80%
15 (max. 24)
The foe is raked with sharp claws or scythes for two to five times in quick succession.
Mega Punch
TM01
TM01
Nomrmal
80
85%
20 (max. 32)
The foe is slugged by a punch thrown with muscle-packed power.
Swords Dance
TM03
TM03
Nomrmal
70
100%
20 (max. 32)
The foe is attacked with a slash of claws, etc. It has a high critical-hit ratio.
Toxic
TM06
TM06
Poison
-
85%
10 (max. 16)
A move that leaves the target badly poisoned. Its poison damage worsens every turn.
Body Slam
TM08
TM08
Normal
85
100%
15 (max. 24)
The user drops onto the foe with its full body weight. It may leave the foe paralyzed.
Take Down
TM09
TM09
Normal
90
85%
20 (max. 32)
A reckless, full-body charge attack for slamming into the foe. It also damages the user a little.
Double Edge
TM10
TM10
Normal
120
100%
15 (max. 24)
A reckless, life-risking tackle. It also damages the user by a fairly large amount, however.
Submission
TM17
TM17
Fighting
80
80%
25 (max. 40)
The user grabs the foe, and recklessly dives for the ground. It also hurts the user slightly.
Seismic Toss
TM19
TM19
Fighting
Varies
100%
20 (max. 32)
The foe is thrown using the power of gravity. It inflicts damage equal to the user's level.
Rage
TM20
TM20
Normal
20
100%
20 (max. 32)
While this move is in use, it gains attack power each time the user is hit in battle.
Earthquake
TM26
TM26
Ground
100
100%
10 (max. 16)
The user sets off an earthquake that hits all the Pokémon in the battle.
Fissure
TM27
TM27
Ground
Varies
30%
5 (max. 8)
The user opens up a fissure in the ground, and drops the foe in. The target instantly faints if it hits.
Dig
TM28
TM28
Ground
80
100%
10 (max. 16)
The user burrows, then attacks on the second turn. It can also be used to exit dungeons.
Mimic
TM31
TM31
Normal
-
-%
10 (max. 16)
The user copies the move last used by the foe. The move can be used for the rest of the battle.
Double Team
TM32
TM32
Normal
-
-%
15 (max. 24)
By moving rapidly, the user makes illusory copies of itself to raise its evasiveness.
Bide
TM34
TM34
Normal
-
-%
10 (max. 16)
The user endures attacks for two turns, then strikes back to cause double the damage taken.
Swift
TM39
TM39
Normal
60
-%
20 (max. 32)
Star-shaped rays are shot at the foe. This attack never misses.
Skull Bash
TM40
TM40
Normal
100
100%
15 (max. 24)
The user tucks in its head to raise its Defense in the first turn, then rams the foe on the next turn.
Rest
TM44
TM44
Psychic
-
-%
10 (max. 16)
The user goes to sleep for two turns. It fully restores the user's HP, and heals any status problem.
Rock Slide
TM48
TM48
Rock
75
90%
10 (max. 16)
Large boulders are hurled at the foe to inflict damage. It may also make the target flinch.
Substitute
TM50
TM50
Normal
-
-%
10 (max. 16)
The user makes a copy of itself using some of its HP. The copy serves as the user's decoy.
Cut
HM01
HM01
Normal
50
95%
30 (max. 48)
The foe is cut with a scythe or a claw. It can also be used to cut down thin trees.
Strength
HM04
HM04
Normal
80
100%
15 (max. 24)
The foe is slugged with a punch thrown at maximum power. It can also be used to move boulders.
A Sandshrew is a ground-dwelling rodent notable for its defensive capabilities. Its body is mostly covered in a dry, tough hide which is colored to blend in with the sands of the desert. It can curl into a tight ball about the same size as a basketball to protect its soft underbelly. Its primary weapon is the small but sharp claws on its paws, which are also useful for burrowing, and can sometimes be poisoned.
Sandshrew's special abilities are extremely limited compared to other Pokémon. It has a greater control over the ground, and sand than the average Pokémon, mostly derived from adaptation to its habitat.
In the wild, Sandshrew are mostly defensive by nature. They spend much of their time hidden underground in their burrows, and will kick up sand or curl into a ball to escape predators. They may venture out to hunt, taking advantage of the desert sands to hide themselves. However, with the help of a trainer, a Sandshrew can become bolder, and much more daring, and can even be trained to swim despite the fact that they are weakened by the water. They are still fond of curling up, though, even if not for defense.
They are adapted to dry, arid areas. Thus, they can be commonly found in deserts, and grasslands, and sometimes in river valleys or the upper levels of caves as well. Wherever they are, they live underground in burrows.
Sandshrew do not require a lot of water, due to a very efficient system of staying hydrated with minimal moisture. They hunt for prey in the wild.
Though its design appears to be inspired by armadillos, its actual inspiration was the pangolin, which is a scaly-anteater by another name. It curls up into a ball, has sharp claws, and lives in desert regions.
Sandshrew's name is a combination of sand, and shrew, a small rodent-like mammal. Its Japanese name simply refers to sand.