A small stout shrew — gray above with a short tail. One of very few venomous mammals in North America, with a paralytic saliva used to subdue prey larger than itself.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The northern short-tailed shrew is the largest shrew in the genus Blarina, and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. It is a semifossorial, highly active, and voracious insectivore and is present in a variety of habitats like broadleaved and pine forests among shrubs and hedges as well as grassy river banks. It is notable in that it is one of the few venomous mammals. The specific epithet, brevicauda, is a combination of the Latin brevis and cauda, meaning "short tail".
Source: Wikipedia — Northern short-tailed shrew Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Stocky shrew with dense gray-brown fur; short tail; pointed snout.
Similar species. Other shrew species (smaller). Voles (different teeth).
Voice. High-pitched squeaks.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects, worms, snails, occasional small vertebrates. Venomous saliva immobilizes prey.
Behavior. Among the largest shrews in North America. Mildly venomous — one of very few venomous mammals in the world.
§ Range
Eastern US and southern Canada
§ Habitat
Deciduous and mixed forests, fields with dense ground cover
§ Threats
Habitat fragmentation, pesticide-driven prey loss, outdoor cat predation.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the northern short-tailed shrew is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Maintain leaf litter and brushy ground. Skip pesticides. Keep cats indoors.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Northern short-tailed shrew
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Blarina brevicauda
- IUCN Red List · taxon 29676
- iNaturalist · taxon 42953
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Blarina brevicauda
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- IUCN Red List 2016
