MAMMALS OF UTAH 155 



DUSKY SHREW 



SOREX OBSCURUS (Merriam) 



Sorex vagrans similis Merriam, N. A. F. No. 5, pp. 34-35 

 PI. IV, fig. 3, August, 1891. 



Description— Size, rather small; tail about equal to 

 .body without head; ears inconspicuous; third unicuspid 

 much smaller than fourth. Similar to Sorex dobsoni, but 

 with smaller ears, broader palate, and broader unicuspidate 

 teeth. Compared with S. vagrans, it is slightly larger, 

 with longer tail and larger molariform teeth. Color: Upper 

 parts uniform dull sepia brown, under parts ashy; tail bi- 

 color; upper side concolor with back or slightly darker, 

 under side whitish. In winter pelage the upper parts are 

 ashy gray and the under parts nearly white. (Merriam.)' 



Distribution — British Columbia, and mountains of 

 western Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colo- 

 rado, south in California to Mount Whitney. Utah speci- 

 mens have been taken at Provo, Manti, and in the Wasatch 

 mountains. 



Habits — The family, Soricidae or Shrews, comprises 

 small mouselike creatures, hut most of them are smaller 

 than any mouse, and in anatomy as different from the mice 

 as a small badger is from the big gray rabbit. This we 

 should realize if we could set together a mouse and a shrew, 

 each magnified to the size of a sheep. Their most striking 

 peculiarity is the absence, or apparent absence, of eyes and 

 ears; next, their long sharp nose, and last, but of most 

 importance, their teeth. (Seton.) The food of this species 

 consists mostly of worms and insect^. 



All American shrews have two pelages, which may be 

 roughly designated as summer and winter coats, though 

 by no means corresponding strictly with these seasonal 

 limitations. As usual among small mammals, the molt 

 takes place at different date among individuals of the same 

 species, so that it is not rare to capture specimens in differ- 

 ent pelages on the same day. The winter pelage is usually 

 plumbeous, dusky, or ash gray; the summer pelage sepia 

 brown or chestnut. (Merriam.) 



