Notes on Distribution and Habitats of Sorex and 



Microsorex (Insectivora: Soricidae) 



in Kentucky 



Ronald S. Caldwell 



Department of Biology, 



Texas College, Tyler, Texas 75702 



AND 



Hal Bryan 



Division of Environmental Analysis, 



Kentucky Department of Transportation, 



Frankfort, Kentucky 40622 



ABSTRACT. — New distributional information on long-tailed shrews 

 in Kentucky is presented. Sorex fumeus, S. cinereus, S. longirostris, 

 and Microsorex hoyi are shown to be more widespread in the state 

 than previously thought. Two apparently isolated populations of M. 

 hoyi occur. Habitat information and a key to Kentucky Soricidae are 

 included. 



INTRODUCTION 



Of the eight species of long-tailed shrews (genera Sorex and Micro- 

 sorex) shown by Junge and Hoffman (1981) to occur in the eastern 

 United States, only three — Sorex longirostris Bachman, Sorex cinereus 

 Kerr, and Sorex fumeus Miller — were reported from Kentucky by Bar- 

 bour and Davis (1974). Caldwell (1980) additionally documented the 

 presence in the state of Sorex dispar Batchelder and Microsorex hoyi 

 (Baird), bringing the number of long-tailed species to five. Additional dis- 

 tributional information were reported for Sorex longirostris and Sorex 

 fumeus by Bryan (1979), and for Sorex cinereus by French (1978). A 

 sixth species, the Water Shrew, Sorex palustris Richardson, may yet be 

 discovered in the higher elevations of eastern Kentucky. 



This paper updates the known ranges in the state for each species 

 of long-tailed shrew (Figs. 1 A-E). Figure IF shows counties where pit- 

 falls have been placed. We also present a key to the species of Soricidae 

 in Kentucky (including short-tailed species), and habitat and ecological 

 information. Exact locality data are available from the authors upon 

 request. Catalogued specimens are deposited in the collections of the 

 Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, the Division of Environmental 

 Analysis, the University of Kentucky vertebrate museum, and the per- 

 sonal collections of the authors. 



Brimleyana No. 8:91-100. December 1982 91 



