Home/Species/ Western Water Shrew

Sorex navigator

(Baird, 1858)

Western Water Shrew

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.979863

Element CodeAMABA01300

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassMammalia

OrderEulipotyphla

FamilySoricidae

GenusSorex

Concept Reference

Hope, A.G., N. Panter, J. A. Cook, S.L. Talbot, and D.W. Nagorsen. 2014. Multilocus phylogeography and systematic revision of North American water shrews (genus: Sorex). Journal of Mammalogy 95(4) 722-738.

Taxonomic Comments

Molecular phylogenetic analyses support recognition of three species-level clades among the subspecies formerly included in Sorex palustris: eastern S. albibarbis, western cordilleran S. navigator (including S. n. brooksi), and boreal S. palustris sensu stricto (Hope et al. 2014, Woodman 2018).

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2017-12-29

Change Date2017-12-29

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species is found along streams in coniferous forests (especially overhanging banks), and also sometimes near seasonal streams, small seeps, and above the timberline (MNHP, 2023).

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest - ConiferAlpine

Palustrine Habitats

TEMPORARY POOLRiparian

Other Nations (2)

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
Montana	S4	Yes
Arizona	S1	Yes
Washington	S4	Yes
Alaska	S4	Yes
New Mexico	S2	Yes
Nevada	S2	Yes
Idaho	S4	Yes
Utah	S4	Yes
California	SNR	Yes
Colorado	S4	Yes
Oregon	S4	Yes
Wyoming	S4	Yes

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
British Columbia	S5	Yes
Alberta	SNR	Yes
Yukon Territory	S4	Yes
Northwest Territories	SU	Yes

Roadless Areas (6)

California (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Sweetwater (CA)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	19,241
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	28,822

Colorado (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pole Mountain / Finger Mesa	Rio Grande NF	43,863

Nevada (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pine Grove South	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	88,945
Sweetwater (NV)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,946

Wyoming (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Spread Creek - Gros Ventre River	Bridger-Teton National Forest	166,097

References (6)

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/
Hope, A.G., N. Panter, J. A. Cook, S.L. Talbot, and D.W. Nagorsen. 2014. Multilocus phylogeography and systematic revision of North American water shrews (genus: Sorex). Journal of Mammalogy 95(4) 722-738.
Nagorsen, D.W., N. Panter and A.G. Hope. 2017. Are the western water shrew (Sorex navigator) and American water shrew (Sorex palustris) morphologically distinct?. Canadian Journal of Zoology 95(10):727-736.
Western Water Shrew — Sorex navigator. Montana Field Guide. Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://FieldGuide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=AMABA01300
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
Woodman, N. 2018. American Recent Eulipotyphla: Nesophontids, Solenodons, Moles, and Shrews in the New World. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, No. 650. 107 pp.