A slender dark-gray shrew with a tail nearly as long as its body, specialized for life in rocky slope crevices. Among the most habitat-specialized small mammals in eastern North America.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The long-tailed shrew or rock shrew is a small shrew found in Atlantic Canada and the Northeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia — Long-tailed shrew Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Small dark gray-brown shrew with long tail; pointed snout; tiny eyes.
Similar species. Other Sorex shrew species.
Voice. High-pitched squeaks.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects, small invertebrates.
Behavior. Northeastern US shrew of cool talus slopes.
§ Range
Northeastern US and southeastern Canada mountains
§ Habitat
Cool talus slopes, rocky cliff bases, mountain forests
§ Threats
Climate-driven talus warming, mining, recreational disturbance.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the long-tailed shrew is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support mountain talus protection. Stay on trails. Don't disturb rock piles.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Long-tailed shrew
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Sorex dispar
- IUCN Red List · taxon 29670
- iNaturalist · taxon 42953
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Sorex dispar
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- IUCN Red List 2016
