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Sorex arcticus

Kerr, 1792

Arctic Shrew

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.638084
Element CodeAMABA01190
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
Black-backed Shrew (EN) Musaraigne arctique (FR) Musaraigne nordique (FR) Saddle-backed Shrew (EN)
Concept Reference
Stewart, D. T., N. D. Perry, and L. Fumagalli. 2002. The maritime shrew, Sorex maritimensis (Insectivora: Soricidae): a newly recognized Canadian endemic. Canadian Journal of Zoology 80: 94-99.
Taxonomic Comments
Sorex maritimensis was formerly included in Sorex arcticus; it was recognized as a distinct species by Stewart et al. (2002), Baker et al. (2003), and Hutterer (in Wilson and Reeder 2005).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-05
Change Date1996-11-01
Range Extent Comments
Southern Yukon and Northwest territories to eastern Quebec, Canada; North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin (Kirkland and Schmidt 1996, Stewart et al. 2002, Wilson and Reeder 2005).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

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

Habitat

Most commonly found in grass-sedge marshes, wet meadows, and other moist openings in and adjacent to boreal forest. Also present, in fewer numbers, in tamarack-spruce bogs and cedar swamps. Small globular nests are usually made above ground under logs or other material.

Ecology

Home range is around 1/4 acre (Buckner 1966). Populations fluctuate annually from less than 1 to 4 per acre (Buckner 1966). High population turnover, with approximately 80% of each generation dead prior to sexual maturity (Buckner 1966)

Reproduction

In south, breeding occurs late winter to mid-summer. Gestation lasts 3 weeks. Litter size is 5-9; average of 3 litters per year. Young-of-the-year may breed in first summer in some areas (Baird et al. 1983).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest - MixedGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaSHYes
North DakotaSNRYes
WisconsinS4Yes
MontanaSUYes
MichiganS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS5Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Roadless Areas (2)
Wisconsin (2)
AreaForestAcres
09161 - Gates LakeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest5,255
09162 - MooseChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest6,161
References (29)
  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. Baird, D. D., R. M. Timm, and G. E. Nordquist. 1983. Reproduction in the arctic shrew, Sorex arcticus. J. Mamm. 64:298-301.
  3. Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press. 642 pp.
  4. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  5. 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
  6. Buckner, C.H. 1964. Metabolism, food capacity and feeding behavior in four species of shrews. Can. J. Zool. 42: 259-79.
  7. Buckner, C.H. 1966. Populations and ecological relationships of shrews in tamarack bogs of southeastern Manitoba. Jour. Mamm. 47(2):181-194.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Churchfield, S. 1992. The Natural History of Shrews. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 192 pp.
  11. Clough, G.C. 1963. Biology of the arctic shrew, Sorex arcticus. Am. Midl. Nat. 69(1): 69-81.
  12. Fumagalli, L., P. Taberlet, D. T. Stewart, L. Gielly, J. Hausser and P. Vogel. 1999. Molecular phylogeny and evolution of <i>Sorex </i>shrews (Soricidae: Insectivora) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 11: 222-235.
  13. George, S. B. 1988. Systematics, historical biogeography, and evolution of the genus <i>Sorex</i>. J. Mammalogy 69:443-461.
  14. Hamilton, W. J., Jr., and J. O. Whitaker, Jr. 1979. Mammals of the eastern United States. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. 346 pp.
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. Ingles, L. G. 1961. Home range and habitats of the wandering shrew. Journal of Mammalogy 42:455-462.
  18. Jackson, H.H. 1928. A taxonomic review of the North Americanlong tailed shrews (genera Sorex and Microsorex). N. Amer. Fauna. 51:1-238.
  19. Jackson, H. H. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 504 pp.
  20. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  21. Junge, J. A., R. S. Hoffman, and R. W. DeBry. 1983. Relationships within the Holarctic SOREX ARCTICUS-SOREX TUNDRENSIS species complex. Acta Theriologica 28:339-350.
  22. Kirkland, G. L., Jr., and D. F. Schmidt. 1996. SOREX ARCTICUS. Mammalian Species 524:1-5.
  23. Rausch, V. R., and R. L. Rausch. 1993. Karyotypic characteristics of SOREX TUNDRENSIS Merriam (Mammalia: Soricidae), a Nearctic species of the S. ARANEUS-group. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 106:410-416.
  24. Smith, R. W. 1939. A new race of <i>Sorex arcticus </i>from Nova Scotia. Journal of Mammalogy 20:244245.
  25. Stewart, D. T., N. D. Perry, and L. Fumagalli. 2002. The maritime shrew, <i>Sorex maritimensis </i>(Insectivora: Soricidae): a newly recognized Canadian endemic. Canadian Journal of Zoology 80: 94-99.
  26. 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.
  27. Volobouev, V. T., and C. G. van Zyll de Jong. 1988. The karyotype of SOREX ARCTICUS MARITIMENSIS (Insectivora, Soricidae) and its systematic implications. Can. J. Zool. 66:1968-1972.
  28. 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/.
  29. Youngman, P. M. 1975. Mammals of the Yukon Territory. Publications in Zoology, No. 10., National Museums of Canada, Ottawa. 192 pp.