154 MAMMALS OF UTAH 



tip, whitish below, rather sharply defined, i. e., tail bi- 

 colored. Winter coat, more grayish above and lighter, some- 

 times pure white below. A chestnut phase is sometimes 

 found. The sexes are alike. The average total length is 

 about 3 15/16 inches ; weight about 47 grains. (Seton.) 

 This very diminutive shrew has a head slender and acutely 

 elongated ; the body very slender. The muzzle is naked and 

 quite deeply divided. The eye is rather prominent, its cen- 

 ter nearer the anterior base of the concha than the muzzle, 

 showing this to be less elongated than in some species of 

 the group. The ear is rather large and open, the concha 

 directed backward. The tail is about as long as the body 

 (without head) or a little longer. It is very thin at the 

 base, about the diameter of the tibia; it, however, swells 

 rapidly towards the middle, and then tapers gently to the 

 tip. It is round and densely clothed with long hairs con- 

 cealing the annuli, and ending in a pencil. The feet are 

 small, especially the hinder ones, which are only about four 

 tenths of an inch long. These are naked below, except at 

 the heel, where they are covered with hairs, except a narrow 

 space along the median line, which is, however, concealed by 

 the overhanging bristles. The rest of the sole is covered 

 with small tubercles, with six longer ones interspaced. The 

 feet are rather broad, and covered with longish lustrous 

 hairs. (Baird.) 



Distribution — This shrew is confined to the Wasatch 

 and Uinta mountain districts in this state. It is not com- 

 mon. 



Habits — These tiny animals live among the vegetation 

 and debris on the surface of the ground or in little burrows 

 below. With the moles they are members of the Order 

 Insectivora and depend mainly on insects and meat for food. 

 consists of smalL balls of dry leaves^ grasses or other soft 

 This species is the smallest of our mammals. Its nest 

 vegetation placed under a log or in a stump; and two or 

 more litters of from six to ten young each are raised during 

 the summer and fall. They run along the tunnels of mice 

 and search for insects, larvae, worms, and seeds. When 

 two are placed together in captivity they fight to the death, 

 the victor devouring the vanquished. The Eskimos have 

 a deadly fear of shrews, which they believe to be able to 

 dart at them and pierce into their hearts. (Nelson.) 



