The southern short-tailed shrew (Blarina carolinensis) is a gray, short-tailed shrew that inhabits the eastern United States.
Description
The southern short-tailed shrew is the smallest shrew in its genus, measuring in total length, and weighing less than . It has a comparatively heavy body, with short limbs and a thick neck, a long, pointed snout and ears that are nearly concealed by its soft, dense fur. As its name indicates, the hairy tail is relatively short, measuring . The feet are adapted for digging, with five toes ending in sharp, curved claws. The fur is slate gray, being paler on the underparts.
Distribution and habitat
The southern short-tailed shrew is found in the southeastern United States, from southern Virginia to eastern Texas, to central Oklahoma, and in the Mississippi valley as far as southern Illinois. Within this region, it is found primarily in pine forests.
There are two recognized subspecies:
The short-tailed shrew has a high metabolism and eats about half its body weight in a day. It navigates and locates prey by echolocation.
The southern short-tailed shrew is a social animal; it has been known to share its burrow systems with several individuals. The male and female live together during the prebreeding season. The burrows are built in two layers, one near the surface, and a deeper one joined below it. The burrows are often built below logs, which can be penetrated and honeycombed if the log is rotten.
Reproduction
The breeding season lasts from March to November, and females have two or three litters per year. Each litter consists of two to six young. The young are reared in nests of grasses and leaves at the end of a tunnel reaching about below the ground, or in rotten logs.
References
External links
- Mammals of Texas