Mammals of Carolina Bays 17 



southeastern Coastal Plain of North Carolina is in need of study. Even 

 though the area is within the range of B. carolinensis, specimens we 

 have obtained from Carolina bays, principally in Bladen County, are of 

 a large form closely approaching B. brevicauda in size and appearance. In 

 upland areas of Bladen County, however, we found only B. carolinensis. 

 French (1981) reported large specimens of Blarina from Sampson 

 and Columbus counties and also remarked on the need for additional 

 work on this genus in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. The large 

 forms we collected were found in mature evergreen bay forests. Blarina 

 brevicauda telmalestes occurs in pocosins and associated communities in 

 northeastern North Carolina, and for many years it was known only 

 from the Dismal Swamp region. Paul (1965), however, reported the 

 subspecies in Hyde County, and we found it at several sites in Dare, 

 Currituck, and Pasquotank counties. We have also found B. b. telma- 

 lestes as well as a large Blarina (presumably also B. b. telmalestes) in a 

 wide range of successional communities in southeastern North Carolina, 

 but most of our records are from wet forest floors. 



Cryptotis parva parva (Say), Least Shrew. The Least Shrew is a 

 common and characteristic species of Longleaf Pine-Turkey Oak-Wire 

 Grass associations, sand rims of Carolina bays, Wire Grass savannas, and 

 early successional communities with open canopies and dense ground 

 cover. This shrew is not expected to occur in typical pocosin vegetative 

 stages, although it frequently was collected in pitfall traps at several of 

 the sand rim study areas. 



Scalopus aquaticus howelli (Jackson), Eastern Mole. The Eastern 

 Mole is characteristic of sand rims of Carolina bays, but is uncommon 

 or absent from lower and wetter portions of Carolina bays, pocosins, 

 and savanna habitats. Eastern Moles commonly invade partly drained, 

 disturbed areas and may range into damper soils for short distances, but 

 in wetter systems they are probably replaced by Condylura. The Eastern 

 Mole was not found in the extensive palustrine system of Dare County. 



Condylura cristata parva (Paradiso), Star-nosed Mole. The few 

 Coastal Plain records for the Star-nosed Mole are probably an artifact 

 of the difficulty encountered in trapping this species. Normally it is 

 limited to damp areas around springs, creek bottoms, and bogs. Mole 

 runs encountered in a stream-head forest in Hoke County and around 

 the wet margins of Carolina bays in Bladen County were almost cer- 

 tainly made by this species. Hall (1981) listed Condylura from the Dis- 

 mal Swamp in Virginia and from Garland near White Lake, a Carolina 

 bay in Bladen County. We have additional records from the following 

 Coastal Plain localities: New Hanover Co., Carolina Beach (NCSM 

 3243); Washington Co., Wenona (NCSM records); Pitt Co., precise 



