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Section of Mammals

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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  • Section of Mammals
  • PA Mammals
  • Childs Frick Expedition

Shrews (Soricidae)

Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)

September 16, 2017 by

Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)

This animal has a voracious appetite. Said to eat several times its weight every day, the short-tailed shrew is aided in subduing its prey by a poison found in its saliva.

Least Shrew

September 16, 2017 by

Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva)

Uncommon in the Commonwealth, this, too, is a shrew with a short tail. It can be distinguished from the short-tailed shrew (Blarina) by its much smaller body and brown color. The short-tailed shrew is slate gray.

Sorex cinereus

August 22, 2017 by

Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus)

The masked shrew’s “mask” is not a very noticeable feature but the nose is long, extending well beyond the mouth, and quite mobile.

Pennsylvania Counties for Long-tailed Shrew

August 22, 2017 by

Long-tailed or Rock Shrew (Sorex dispar)

This mammal is not common. Although most often trapped on talus slopes, it has also been found in recently disturbed areas such as forest clearcuts.

Pennsylvania Counties for Smoky Shrew

August 23, 2017 by

Smoky Shrew (Sorex fumeus)

The smoky shrew nests under rotting logs, in rocky crevices, stone piles, and under discarded lumber.

Pennsylvania Counties for Pygmy Shrew

August 23, 2017 by

Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi)

The smallest mammal in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. There are fewer than two dozen pygmy shrew specimens from Pennsylvania in museum collections and all of these have been collected in the last 15 years.

Pennsylvania Counties for Water Shrew

August 22, 2017 by

Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)

This uncommon shrew has a fringe of stiff hairs on the outer side of each hind foot that is a direct adaptation to its aquatic lifestyle. Air bubbles trapped by its fur give this animal great buoyancy but only allow it to be submerged for about 15 seconds at a time.

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