Thomas M. Padgett and Robert K. Rose 89 



upland (or mesic) area of the Dismal Swamp locally referred to as 

 "mesic islands"; these are remnant Pleistocene marine deposits oriented 

 in east-west directions. In contrast to the surrounding bottomland 

 forest of tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), red maple (Acer rubrum), and scattered 

 bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), these "island" habitats have such 

 species as American beech (Fagus grandifolia), swamp chestnut oak 

 (Quercus michauxii), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), and loblolly pine 

 (Pinus taeda). The remaining specimen from the Refuge was collected 

 along the Nansemond (or Suffolk) Escarpment, a Pleistocine feature 

 that delineates the western boundary of the Dismal Swamp, in a transi- 

 tional wetland forest composed of both upland and bottomland species. 



The six pygmy shrews from Camden County were taken in a 

 variety of habitats, all with black peaty loam soils, sometimes with 

 some sand component. Five pygmy shrews came from recently (<2 

 years) clearcut sites regenerating mostly in mixed grasses and a few 

 shrubs, and one was collected from a 15-year-old loblolly pine plan- 

 tation with pine straw as virtually the only ground cover. 



The specimens from Gates County ranged from 64 to 81 mm (x 

 = 75.44 mm), whereas those from Camden County ranged from 78 to 

 81 mm (x = 79.67 mm). In the Gates County specimens, the tails 

 averaged 36% of total length, compares to 33% in the Camden County 

 specimens. Although the sex of some individuals could be determined, 

 we were unable to establish useful sex ratios. Other shrews caught at 

 one or more sites yielding pygmy shrews include the Dismal Swamp 

 southeastern shrew, (Sorex longirostris fisheri), the short-tailed shrew 

 (Blarina brevicauda) and in Camden County, the least shrew (Cryptotis 

 parva). 



As is typical of studies using pitfall traps in Virginia (John 

 Pagels, Virginia Commonwealth University and Kurt Buhlman, 

 Virginia Natural Heritage Program, personal communication), the 

 distribution of pygmy shrews appears to be patchy. For example, in 

 Camden County pygmy shrews were caught on three of 10 grids, four 

 on one site, and one on each of the others; seven other sites yielded 

 none. In Gates County in the Refuge, pygmy shrews were taken from 

 two of six sites in habitats that seemed comparable. 



We verified that pygmy shrews occur in a range of habitats; we 

 caught shrews in fields in early succession, maturing loblolly pines, 

 and in mature deciduous forest. In the Refuge (Gates County), pygmy 

 shrews were collected on slightly higher and better drained sites than 

 the surrounding more typical Dismal Swamp forested swampland 

 dominated by tupelo, red maple, and bald cypress. The Camden County 

 site is located in the Pasquotank River drainage, and therefore is also 



