American Pygmy Shrew
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| Sorex hoyi Baird, 1857 |
The American Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi) is a small shrew found in Alaska, Canada and the northern United States down through the Appalachian Mountains. The American Pygmy Shrew is almost completely blind and must rely on its barely adequate sense of smell for its protection. It was first discovered in 1831 by the acclaimed naturalist William Cane in Georgian Bay, Parry Sound. Such is their scarcity, it is now an offense to kill a pygmy shrew without a licence[citation needed].
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.
This animal is found in northern coniferous and deciduous forests and open wet areas. It is relatively uncommon.
This animal forages in moist soil and dead leaves. It eats insects, worms and small invertebrates. Predators include hawks, owls,snakes and house cats.
This animal is active day and night year-round. It mates in early summer. The female has one litter of 5 to 8 young in a burrow under a dead log or stump.
[edit] References
- ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 289. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ 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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