Smoky Shrew

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iSmoky Shrew
Conservation status
Least concern (LR/lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Insectivora Family: Soricidae Genus: Sorex Species: S. fumeus
Binomial name
Sorex fumeus (Miller, 1895)

The Smoky Shrew, Sorex fumeus, is a medium-sized North American shrew found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

It is dull grey in colour with lighter underparts and a long tail which is brown on top and yellowish underneath. During winter, its fur is grey. Its body is about 11 cm in length including a 4 cm long tail and it weighs about 5 g.

These animals are found near streams in cool damp deciduous and mixed woods. Their range extends further south along the Appalachian Mountains. They make extensive burrows in the leaf litter on the forest floor. They also use tunnels created by moles or other shrews.

Their diet includes insects, earthworms, snails and small mammals. Predators include owls, snakes and mustelids.

These animals are active year-round. The female has 2 to 3 litters of 5 to 7 young in a nest in a stump or under a log.

[edit] References

• Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Sorex fumeus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern