494 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XII, No. 5, 



OHIO MOLES AND SHREWS. 



Jas. S. Hixe. 



The Ohio members of the Order Insectivora,, coinmonlY called 

 moles and shrews, have been quite extensively collected in the 

 state and some things in regard to their habits and distribution 

 msij be said. The moles are easily distinguished from the shrews 

 by their larger size and wider front feet. Three of each have been 

 taken and there is a possibility that other species of shrews exist 

 within our territory, at least the adjoining states that have pub- 

 lished lists of mammals all enumerate more than three, but as 

 Ohio is between the East and the West from the famial standpoint 

 one is not surprised when some of the species listed from Pennsvl- 

 vania and Indiana are not taken. 



The common or short tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, is the 

 most abundant species of the order in the state. Trapping in 

 any section and under various conditions is sure to reveal this 

 species at the outset and it continues to appear in the traps day 

 after day until the collector, who is always desirous of variety, 

 feels more or less disgusted and resolves to try another locality 

 only to find the same condition of things. Deep woods, open 

 fields, high or low grounds seem to attract it, in fact, one is not 

 able to name a single place where it may not be found. 



This little animal is near the size of the common house mouse 

 and is largely camiverous in its feeding habits. Some authors 

 state that habitually it never takes vegetable food. Insects of 

 various kinds are taken in large numbers, angle worms and snails 

 are eaten commonly and small rodents, like mice of some species, 

 often lose their lives to satisfy its insatiable appetite. Shull has 

 given a very full account of the short-tailed shrew in the American 

 Naturalist from observations taken at Ann Arbor and one should 

 read this paper in order to know the ecomonic value of the species. 

 Since mice and injurious insects are so often used as food by it the 

 amount of good done is considerable and since it is not known to 

 eat anything of special value we should consider this shrew almost 

 wholh^ beneficial and worthy of consideration. 



The shrews do not have the habit of heaving the ground to the 

 same extent as the moles and consequently are not considered 

 particularly injurious from that standpoint. Although the 

 common shrew is so abundant and found in every section of the 

 state it is not seen usually by people who are not looking for it. 

 Its retiring and more or less nocturnal habits prevent it from being 

 : seen often, and the odor which is associated with it is more or less 

 .^ of a protection from some animals which would otherwise prove 



