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Sorex fumeus

Miller, 1895

Smoky Shrew

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100796
Element CodeAMABA01180
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderEulipotyphla
FamilySoricidae
GenusSorex
Other Common Names
Musaraigne fuligineuse (FR) Smokey Shrew (EN) smoky shrew (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
See George (1988) for electrophoretic study of systematic relationships among Sorex species.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-05
Change Date1996-11-01
Range Extent Comments
Confined to northeastern U.S. (from middle Appalachians north) and southeastern Canada. Ranges west to Ontario and northeastern Minnesota (Jannett and Oehlenschlager 1994). Apparently the range has been expanding westward, perhaps due to a logging-caused change in cover from coniferous forest to a forest with a greater deciduous component.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Most abundant in damp wooded areas, both in conifer and hardwood habitats. Nest sites are beneath stumps, rotted logs, or rocks (Whitaker, in Wilson and Ruff 1999).

Ecology

May reach 25-50 shrews per acre (van Zyll de Jong 1983). Local populations are most abundant in late summer. Surviving winter populations may be only 20-25% of the post-breeding season population (Hamilton 1940). Short-lived.

Reproduction

Breeding season begins March to August. Gestation lasts 3 weeks. Litter size is 2-8, average 5. Up to 3 litters may be produced each year. Unlike many shrews, this one reaches sexual maturity after its first winter.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedOld field
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ConnecticutS5Yes
Rhode IslandS2Yes
AlabamaS1Yes
South CarolinaS3Yes
OhioS3Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
MichiganS1Yes
MaineS5Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
New YorkS5Yes
New JerseySUYes
KentuckyS5Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
MarylandS2Yes
VermontS4Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
IndianaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
TennesseeS4Yes
New HampshireS5Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
References (23)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press. 642 pp.
  3. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  4. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  5. Buckner, C. H. 1969. Some aspects of the population ecology of the common shrew, <i>Sorex araneus</i>, near Oxford, England. Journal of Mammalogy 50:326-332.
  6. Churchfield, S. 1992. The Natural History of Shrews. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 192 pp.
  7. George, S. B. 1988. Systematics, historical biogeography, and evolution of the genus <i>Sorex</i>. J. Mammalogy 69:443-461.
  8. Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 304 pp.
  9. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  10. Hamilton, W.J. 1940. The biology of the smoky shrew (Sorex fumeus fumeus Miller). Zoologica 25(4):473-492.
  11. Hamilton, W. J., Jr., and J. O. Whitaker, Jr. 1979. Mammals of the eastern United States. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. 346 pp.
  12. Hawes, M. L. 1977. Home range, territoriality and ecological separation in sympatric shrews, <i>Sorex vagrans</i> and <i>Sorex obscurus</i>. Journal of Mammalogy. 58:354-367.
  13. Hebda, A.J. 2011. List of mammals of Nova Scotia (including synonyms used in the literature relating to Nova Scotia) (revision 2) 24 July 2011. Nova Scotia Museum Collections Unit, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 24 pp. Online. Available: https://naturalhistory.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/inline/images/names_and_synonyms_ver3.pdf
  14. Ingles, L. G. 1961. Home range and habitats of the wandering shrew. Journal of Mammalogy 42:455-462.
  15. Jackson, H.H. 1928. A taxonomic review of the North Americanlong tailed shrews (genera Sorex and Microsorex). N. Amer. Fauna. 51:1-238.
  16. Jackson, H. H. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 504 pp.
  17. Jannett, F. J., Jr., and R. J. Oehlenschlager. 1994. Range extension and first Minnesota records of the smoky shrew Sorex fumeus. Am. Midl. Nat. 131:364-365.
  18. Linzey, D.W. 2016. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 2016 revision. Southeastern Naturalist 15(Monograph 8):1–93.
  19. Owen, J.G. 1984. Sorex fumeus. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 215. 8 pp.
  20. Sipe, T. W., and R. A. Browne. 2004. Phylogeography of masked (<i>Sorex cinereus</i>) amd smoky shrews (<i>Sorex fumeus</i>) in the southern Appalachians. Journal of Mammalogy 85:875-885.
  21. van Zyll de Jong, C.G. 1983. Handbook of Canadian mammals. 1. Marsupials and insectivores. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 210 pp.
  22. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  23. Wilson, D. E., and S. Ruff. 1999. The Smithsonian book of North American mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 750 pp.