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Blarina brevicauda

(Say, 1823)

Northern Short-tailed Shrew

G5Secure Found in 28 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104671
Element CodeAMABA03010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderEulipotyphla
FamilySoricidae
GenusBlarina
Other Common Names
Grande musaraigne (FR) northern short-tailed shrew (EN) Short-tailed 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
Blarina carolinensis formerly was regarded as conspecific with B. brevicauda; it was regarded as a distinct species by Jones et al. (1992) and Hutterer (in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1996-11-04
Range Extent Comments
Occurs throughout most of U.S. and southern Canada east of the Great Plains. See French (1981) for information on distribution in the southeastern U.S.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Carraway (1995) for a key to western North American soricids based primarily on dentaries.

Habitat

Most abundant in hardwood forests with deep leaf-litter and abundant food; avoids areas with little cover and extremes of temperature and moisture. Semifossorial; digs tunnels or uses existing ones. Constructs elaborate underground nest. Nests are placed under logs or stumps, or underground.

Ecology

Home ranges can be more than twice the size of those of most shrews. Estimates of home range size average about 2.5 ha; ranges generally overlap (George et al. 1986). Population density estimates range from 1.6/ha to about 121/ha (George et al. 1986). In 14-year study in Illinois, displayed annual but not multiannual population fluctuations; annual peak occurred in July or in Oct. in different habitats; average minimum density about 1-6/ha in winter, average peak density about 10-20/ha in summer or early fall; none survived more than 10 months following first capture (Getz 1989).

Reproduction

Breeds mainly early February or March through September; peaks may occur in spring and late summer or early fall. Gestation 3 weeks. Litter size: 3-10, average 4-6. Three or more litters per year. Weaned by 25 days. Sexually mature in 1-2 months. (Dapson 1968, George et al. 1986).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MissouriS4Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
MaineS5Yes
MinnesotaS5Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
DelawareS5Yes
IowaS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
OklahomaS2Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
MichiganS5Yes
South DakotaS5Yes
NebraskaS4Yes
New YorkS5Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
Rhode IslandS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
MarylandS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
New HampshireS5Yes
MontanaSUYes
IllinoisS5Yes
OhioS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Roadless Areas (28)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
New Hampshire (11)
AreaForestAcres
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
KearsargeWhite Mountain National Forest4,554
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
CornplanterAllegheny National Forest2,929
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Wisconsin (2)
AreaForestAcres
09161 - Gates LakeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest5,255
09162 - MooseChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest6,161
References (28)
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  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. Benedict, R. A. 1999a. Morphological and mitochondrial DNA variation in a hybrid zone between short-tailed shrews (<i>Blarina</i>) in Nebraska. Journal of Mammalogy 80:112-134.
  5. Benedict, R. A. 1999b. Characteristics of a hybrid zone between two species of short-tailed shrews (<i>Blarina</i>). Journal of Mammalogy 80:135-141.
  6. Blair, W.F. 1940. Notes on home ranges and populations of the short-tailed shrew. Ecology 21:284-88.
  7. Blus, L.J. 1971. Reproduction and survival of short-tailed shrews <i>(Blarina brevicauda</i>) in captivity. Lab. Anim. Sci. 21:884-891.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. Carraway, L. N. 1995. A key to Recent Soricidae of the western United States and Canada based primarily on dentaries. Occasional Papers of the Natural History Museum, University of Kansas (175):1-49.
  11. Dapson, R.W. 1968. Reproduction and age structure in a population of short-tailed shrews, <i>Blarina brevicauda</i>. Jour. Mamm. 49:205-214.
  12. French, T. W. 1981. Notes on the distribution and taxonomy of short-tailed shrews (genus <i>Blarina</i>) in the southeast. Brimleyana (6):101-110.
  13. George, S. B., J. R. Choate, and H. H. Genoways. 1986. <i>Blarina bravicauda</i>. Mammalian Species 261:1-9.
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  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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
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  20. Jackson, H.H. 1928. A taxonomic review of the North Americanlong tailed shrews (genera Sorex and Microsorex). N. Amer. Fauna. 51:1-238.
  21. Jackson, H. H. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 504 pp.
  22. Jones, J. K., Jr., D. C. Carter, H. H. Genoways, R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, and C. Jones. 1986. Revised checklistof North American mammals north of Mexico, 1986. Occas. Papers Mus., Texas Tech Univ., 107:1-22.
  23. Linzey, D.W. 2016. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 2016 revision. Southeastern Naturalist 15(Monograph 8):1–93.
  24. Pruitt, W.O.,Jr. 1953. An analysis of some physical factors affecting local distribution of short-tailed shrew (<i>Blarina brevicauda</i>) in the northern part of the Lower Pennisnula of MI. U. MI., Mus. Zool., Misc. Pub. No. 79, 39 pp.
  25. Schwartz, C. W., and E. R. Schwartz. 1981. The wild mammals of Missouri. University of Missouri Press, Columbia. 356 pp.
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