The Kanto Pokémon Sandshrew is pretty cute, but there's much more to this little guy than its adorable factor. While it might not be the best choice in a fight later in the game, it has a lot of heart, so you should learn everything you can about it.
Besides, if you don't catch Sandshrew, you can't complete your Pokédex, and you can't call yourself a Pokémon Master if you don't manage that. For some extra help on your adventures, check out our Pokémon Go codes and Pokémon TCG Pocket codes guides.
Here's everything you need to know about Sandshrew:
Here are some details to help familiarize you with Sansdrew:
| National Pokédex # | 0,027 |
| Type | Ground, Ice/Steel (Alolan) |
| Abilities | Sand Veil, Snow Cloak (Alolan) |
| Hidden Abilities | Sand Rush, Slush Rush (Alolan) |
| Gender ratio | Male - 50% Female - 50% |
| Catch rate | 255 (43.9%) |
| Egg groups | Field |
| EV yield | One defense |
Sandshrew's evolution
Sandshrew evolves into Sandslash at level 22. However, that's not the case for Alolan Sandshrew; it needs an ice stone instead.
Sandshrew's locations
Below, you can find all of Sandshrew's locations in each generation:
Gen 1 locations
| Red | Trade |
| Blue | Routes 4, 8-11, and 23 |
| Yellow | Routes 3-4 and Mt. Moon |
Gen 2 locations
| Gold | Union Cave and Mt. Moon |
| Silver | Goldenrod Game Corner |
| Crystal | Routes 3-4, Union Cave, and Mt. Moon |
Gen 3 locations
| Ruby and Sapphire | Routes 111 and 113 |
| Emerald | Route 111 and Mirage Tower |
| Fire Red | Trade and event |
| Leaf Green | Routes 4, 8-11, and 23 |
| Colosseum | Trade |
| XD | Rock Poké Spot |
Gen 4 locations
| Diamond and Pearl | Wayward Cave |
| Platinum | Wayward Cave |
| HeartGold | Union Cave, Mt. Moon, and Safari Zone |
| SoulSilver | Goldenrod Game Corner and Safari Zone |
| Pal Park | Mountain |
Gen 5 locations
| Black and White | Breed Sandslash |
| Black 2 and White 2 | Desert Resort and Relic Castle |
| Dream World | Icy Cave |
Gen 6 locations
| X and Y | Friend Safari |
| Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire | Routes 111 and 113 |
Gen 7 locations
| Sun | Trade and Pokémon Bank |
| Moon |
Mount Lanakia and Tapu Village (Alolan) Pokémon Bank (Kantonian) |
| Ultra Sun | Trade and Pokémon Bank |
| Ultra Moon |
Mount Lanakila and Tapu Village (Alolan) Pokémon Bank (Kantonian) |
| Let's Go Pikachu |
Routes 3-4 (Kantonian) Trade Kantonian Sandshrew in Celadon City (Alolan) |
| Let's Go Eevee | Trade |
Gen 8 locations
| Sord and Shield | Trade |
| Expansion Pass |
Warm-Up Tunnel, Challenge Beach, and Courageous Cavern (Kantonian) Reward for finding 30 Alolan Diglett (Alolan) |
| Brilliant Diamond | Trade |
| Shining Pearl | Grand Underground (Spacious Cave, Rocky Cave, Sandsear Cave, Big Bluff Cavern) |
| Legends: Arceus | Unobtainable |
Gen 9 locations
| Scarlet and Violet | Trade |
| The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Scarlet) |
Reverler's Road, Oni Mountain, Wistful Fields, Paradise Barrens, Kitakami Wilds, and Terra Raid Battles (Kantonian) Union Circle and Terra Raid Battle Search (Alolan) |
| The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Violet) |
Reverler's Road, Oni Mountain, Wistful Fields, Paradise Barrens, Kitakami Wilds, and Terra Raid Battles (Kantonian) Chargestone Cavern, Polar Biome, and Terra Raid Battles (Alolan) |
| Legends: Z-A | Unobtainable |
Sandshrew's base stats
Sandshrew's base stats are as follows, though these increase as you level it up:
- HP - 50
- Attack - 75
- Defense - 85
- Sp. Atk - 20
- Sp. def - 30
- Speed - 40
Alolan Sandshrew's base stats are:
- HP - 50
- Attack - 75
- Defense - 90
- Sp. Atk - 10
- Sp. def - 35
- Speed - 40
Sandshrew's type strengths and weaknesses
As with every other Pokémon, Sandshrew has strengths and weaknesses that you need to take notice of to use it effectively in battle. However, the Kantonian and Alolan forms have different strengths and weaknesses due to not being the same type, so make sure you check the correct table for the versions you're using.
| Normal damage | Normal, Fighting, Flying, Dragon, Ground, Bug, Ghost, Steel, Fire, Psychic, Dark, and Fairy |
| Weak | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Resistant | Poison and Rock |
| Immune | Electric |
Alolan Sandshrew's type strengths and weaknesses
| Normal damage | Rock, Ghost, Steel, Water, Electric, and Dark |
| Weak | Fighting, Ground, and Fire |
| Resistant | Normal, Flying, Bug, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, and Fairy |
| Immune | Poison |
Sandshrew's moveset
Sandshrew can learn the following moves in the most recent Pokémon games:
Level up moves
| Level | Move | Type |
| One | Scratch | Normal |
| One | Defense Curl | Normal |
| Three | Poison Sting | Poison |
| Six | Sand Attack | Ground |
| Nine | Rollout | Rock |
| 12 | Fury Cutter | Bug |
| 15 | Rapid Spin | Normal |
| 18 | Bulldoze | Ground |
| 21 | Swift | Normal |
| 24 | Fury Swipes | Normal |
| 27 | Agility | Psychic |
| 30 | Slash | Normal |
| 33 | Dig | Ground |
| 36 | Gyro Balls | Steel |
| 39 | Swords Dance | Normal |
| 42 | Sandstorm | Rock |
| 45 | Earthquake | Ground |
Level up moves (Alolan)
| Level | Move | Type |
| One | Scratch | Normal |
| One | Defense Curl | Normal |
| Three | Mist | Ice |
| Six | Powder Snow | Ice |
| Nine | Rollout | Rock |
| 12 | Fury Cutter | Bug |
| 15 | Rapid Spin | Normal |
| 18 | Metal Claw | Steel |
| 21 | Swift | Normal |
| 24 | Fury Swipes | Normal |
| 27 | Iron Defense | Steel |
| 30 | Slash | Normal |
| 33 | Iron Head | Steel Steel |
| 36 | Gyro Ball | Steel |
| 39 | Swords Dance | Normal |
| 42 | Snowscape | Ice |
| 45 | Blizzard | Ice |
Learnable TMs
| Move | Type |
| Take Down | Normal |
| Agility | Psychic |
| Mud-Slap | Ground |
| Protect | Normal |
| Low Kick | Fighting |
| Thief | Dark |
| Facade | Normal |
| Aerial Ace | Flying |
| Bulldoze | Ground |
| Metal Claw | Steel |
| Swift | Normal |
| Mud Shot | Ground |
| Rock Tomb | Rock |
| Fling | Dark |
| Endure | Normal |
| Sunny Day | Fire |
| Sandstorm | Rock |
| Dig | Ground |
| False Swipe | Normal |
| Brick Break | Fighting |
| Shadow Claw | Ghost |
| Body Slam | Normal |
| Sleep Talk | Normal |
| Poison Jab | Poison |
| Stomping Tantrum | Ground |
| Rest | Psychic |
| Rock Slide | Rock |
| Swords Dance | Normal |
| Spikes | Ground |
| Leech Life | Bug |
| Substitute | Normal |
| X-Scissor | Bug |
| Stealth Rock | Rock |
| Amnesia | Psychic |
| Earth Power | Ground |
| Earthquake | Ground |
| Stone Edge | Rock |
| Tera Blast | Normal |
| Sand Tomb | Ground |
| Smack Down | Rock |
| Gyro Ball | Steel |
| Knock Off | Dark |
| Super Fang | Normal |
| High Horsepower | Ground |
| Focus Punch | Fighting |
| Double-Edge | Normal |
| Endeavor | Normal |
| Scorching Sands | Ground |
| Throat Chop | Dark |
| Curse | Ghost |
Learnable TMs (Alolan)
| Move | Type |
| Take Down | Normal |
| Protect | Normal |
| Low Kick | Fighting |
| Thief | Dark |
| Facade | Normal |
| Aerial Ace | Flying |
| Bulldoze | Ground |
| Metal Claw | Steel |
| Swift | Normal |
| Icy Wind | Ice |
| Rock Tomb | Rock |
| Fling | Dark |
| Avalanche | Ice |
| Endure | Normal |
| Snowscape | Ice |
| Dig | Ground |
| Brick Break | Fighting |
| Shadow Claw | Ghost |
| Body Slam | Normal |
| Ice Punch | Ice |
| Sleep Talk | Normal |
| Poison Jab | Poison |
| Rest | Psychic |
| Rock Slide | Rock |
| Swords Dance | Normal |
| Flash Cannon | Steel |
| Leach Life | Bug |
| Iron Head | Steel |
| Substitute | Normal |
| Iron Defense | Steel |
| X-Scissor | Bug |
| Stealth Rock | Rock |
| Ice Spinner | Ice |
| Amnesia | Psychic |
| Ice Beam | Ice |
| Blizzard | Ice |
| Earthquake | Ground |
| Steel Beam | Steal |
| Tera Blast | Normal |
| Gyro Ball | Steel |
| Knock Off | Dark |
| Super Fang | Normal |
| Icicle Spear | Ice |
| Focus Punch | Fighting |
| Double-Edge | Normal |
| Endeavor | Normal |
| Triple Axel | Ice |
| Throat Chop | Dark |
| Curse | Ghost |
Egg moves
| Move | Type | Breed with |
| Counter | Fighting | Annihilape, Cinderace, Greedent, Lucario, Lycanroc, Mudbray, Mudsdale, Raboot, Scorbunny, Skwovet, Slakoth, Slaking, Vigoroth, or Zangoose |
| Flail | Normal | Beartic, Cetitan, Cetoddle, Cubchoo, Dunsparce, Dudunsparce, Komala, Mamoswine, Phanpy, Piloswine, Slakoth, Slaking, Swinub, or Zangoose |
| Hone Claws | Dark | Drilbur, Exacadrill, Floragato, Galarian Meowth, Krokorok, Krookodile, Mabosstiff, Maschiff, Meowscarada, Perrserker, Sandile, Sneasel, Sneasler, Sprigatito, Weavile, Zorua, or Zoroark |
| Metal Claw | Steel | Alolan Sandshrew, Alolan Sandslash, Alolan Diglett, Alolan Dugtrio, Drilbur, Empoleon, Exacadrill, Galarian Meowth, Lucario, Perrserker, Prinplup, Sneasel, Weavile, or Zangoose |
| Mudlap | Ground | Alolan Diglett, Alolan Dugtrio, Diglett, Dugtrio, Dunsparce, Dudunsparce, Gumshoos, Mamoswine, Mudbray, Mudsdale, Orthworm, or Yungoos |
| Night Slash | Dark | Alolan Diglett, Alolan Dugtrio, Alolan Meowth, Alolan Persian, Mewoscarada, Skuntank, Stunky, Weavile, Zangoose, or Zoroark |
Egg moves (Alolan)
| Move | Type | Breed with |
| Counter | Fighting | Annihilape, Cinderace, Greedent, Lucario, Lycanroc, Mudbray, Mudsdale, Raboot, Scorbunny, Skwovet, Slakoth, Slaking, Vigoroth, or Zangoose |
| Crush Claw | Normal | Drilbur, Exacadrill, Lycanroc, Sandslash, or Zangoose |
| Curse | Ghost | Camerupt, Numel, Torkoal, Zangoose, Zorua, or Zoroark |
| Flail | Normal | Beartic, Cetitan, Cetoddle, Cubchoo, Dunsparce, Dudunsparce, Komala, Mamoswine, Phanpy, Piloswine, Slakoth, Slaking, Swinub, or Zangoose |
| Hone Claws | Dark | Drilbur, Exacadrill, Floragato, Galarian Meowth, Krokorok, Krookodile, Mabosstiff, Maschiff, Meowscarada, Perrserker, Sandile, Sneasel, Sneasler, Sprigatito, Weavile, Zorua, or Zoroark |
| Ice Shard | Ice | Alolan Vulpix, Alolan Ninetails, Cetoddle, Cetitan, Dewgong, Glaceon, Mamoswine, Piloswine, Swinub, Seel, or Wevile |
| Mirror Coat | Ice | Glaceon |
| Night Slash | Dark | Alolan Diglett, Alolan Dugtrio, Alolan Meowth, Alolan Persian, Mewoscarada, Skuntank, Stunky, Weavile, Zangoose, or Zoroark |
With that, you know everything you need to know about Sandshrew, so go forth and add this little guy to your collection.