Pygmy Shrew
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the Pygmy Shrew found in North America. For the Pygmy Shrews found in Europe and Asia, see Eurasian Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus) and Etruscan Pygmy Shrew (Suncus etruscus).
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| Sorex hoyi (Baird, 1857) |
The Pygmy Shrew, Sorex hoyi, is a small shrew found in Alaska, Canada and the northern United States down through the Appalachian Mountains. The Pygmy Shrew is a almost completely blind and must rely on its barely adequate sense of smell for its protection.
It is grey-brown or red-brown in colour with lighter underparts. The fur is greyer in winter. Its body is about 5 cm in length including a 2 cm long tail and it weighs about 2.5 g.
These animals are found in northern coniferous and deciduous forests and open wet areas. It is relatively uncommon.
These animals forage in moist soil and dead leaves. They eat insects, worms and small invertebrates. Predators include hawks, owls and snakes.
These animals are active day and night year-round. They mate in early summer. The female has one litter of 5 to 8 young in a burrow under a dead log or stump.
[edit] References
- Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Sorex hoyi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 05 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
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