Family SORICIDAE 



59 



BLARINA BREVICAUDA (Say) 



Short-Tailed Shrew 



Description. — At first glimpse, a short-tailed shrew, fig. 48, 

 scurr\'ing along in leaf litter may be mistaken for a mouse or a 

 young mole. Close examination will show that this shrew has 

 some features of both the mouse and the mole. It is sometimes 

 called the mole shrew. Unlike the mole, the short-tailed shrew 

 has eyes that are functional, although small, and front feet that 

 are not broad and spadelike. This shrew is about the size of a 



Fig. 48. — Short-tailed shrew. 



mouse but differs from it in having a plush, velvety fur, fig. 4, 

 sharp-pointed nose, short tail, and a seeming absence of ears, 

 which are hidden in the fur. 



Length measurements: head and body about 3-4 inches 

 (75-101 mm.); tail H-'^Vs inches (20-29 mm.); over-all 

 Zy^-5yi inches (95-130 mm.) ; hind foot about y% inch (14-17 

 mm.). 



The skull ranges in length from 21.0 to 24.5 mm. (less than 

 1 inch) and in width from 11.3 to 12.9 mm. (about Yi inch). 

 It has no zygomatic arches. Part of the upper jaw is shown in 

 fig. Ha. Dental formula: I 3/1, C 1/1, Pm 3/1, M 3/3. 



The short-tailed shrew can be distinguished from all other 

 Illinois mammals by a combination of characters: mouse-size 

 body; short tail; dark, nearly black, velvety fur; sharp-pointed 



