3IO 



MAMMALS OF A.MERICA 



SHORT-TAILED SHREW 

 Blarina brevicauda (Say) 



Other Name. — Mole Shrew. 



General Description. — A typical Shrew resembling 

 superficially the Common Shrew but much larger, with 

 heavier body, and very short tail. Head pointed : ears 

 short ; eyes small ; legs short ; pelage soft and glossy. 



Dental Formula. — Incisors, 



4-4. 



molars, =:— ^ ; Molars, ^-^^-i-) 



Pelage. — Adult.s : Sexes identical : seasonal varia- 

 tion sli.ght, summer coat paler than winter. .Above, 

 sooty plumbeous ; below, ashy plumbeous ; tail dark 

 above, paler below ; pelage very soft and glossy. 

 ^'ol•^■|. : Similar to adults. 



Measurements. — Total length, 5 inches ; tail ver- 

 tebrae, I inch ; hind foot. .6j inch. Weight, 22 grammes. 



Range. — Western Nebraska and Manitoba eastward 

 to the .Atlantic Coast. 



Food. — Insects and Meadow Mice. 



Remarks. — The short-tailed and thick-set body of 

 this Shrew serves to distinguish it from others. It is 

 probably the largest, considered from the point of 



weight, of all the Shrews. Some nine species are known 

 north of the Rio Grande. 



REL.\TEn Species 



Common Short-tailed Shrew. — Blarina brevicauda 

 brevicauda (Say). Typical animal of the above descrip- 

 tion. Western Nebraska and Manitoba eastward to the 

 Atlantic. 



Carolina Short-tailed Shrew. — Blarina brevicauda 

 carolinensis (Bachmanj. Smaller than the Common 

 Short-tailed Shrew and generally browner. From 

 mouth of Chesapeake Bay to .Arkansas. 



Florida Short-tailed Shrew. — Blarina brevicauda 

 f>eniiisulae iMerriam). Color more slaty and hind feet 

 larger than the Common Short-tailed Shrew. Penin- 

 sula nf l-'loriiia soutli of latitude j8\ 



Small Short-tailed Shrew — Crx/<tolis (— Blarina) 

 pana (Say). Size very small; teeth, i2 in number; 

 upper parts dark hair-brown ; under parts ashy-gray ; 

 total length about 3.12 inches. Eastern United States 

 from Texas and eastern Nebraska, eastward to the 

 .Atlantic Coast. 



The Short-tailed Shrew differs both in char- 

 acters and in habits from its long-tailed cotisin. 

 As its popular name indicates, it resembles the 

 Common Mole, for which animal it is often mis- 

 taken. It is c(|iially often su])posed to be a Field 



Mouse, its lead-colored pelage contributing to 

 this illusion. 



" It is surprising how few, even among very 

 intelligent i)cople, have the remotest conception 

 of what constitutes a Shrew,"' observes Samuel 



Photograph by the West V.i. University Experiment Station 



SHORT-TAILED SHREW 

 An excellent life-size photograph of an animal that is often mistaken for the Mole 



