494 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. XII, No. 5, 
OHIO MOLES AND SHREWS. 
Jas. S. Hixe. 
The Ohio members of the Order Insectivora, commonly called 
moles and shrews, have been quite extensively collected in the 
state and some things in regard to their habits and distribution 
may be said. The moles are easily distinguished from the shrews 
by their larger size and wider front feet. Three of each have been 
taken and there is a possibility that other species of shrews exist 
within our territory, at least the adjoining states that have pub- 
lished lists of mammals all enumerate more than three, but as 
Ohio is between the East and the West from the faunal standpoint 
one is not surprised when some of the species listed from Pennsyl- 
vania and Indiana are not taken. 
The common or short tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, is the 
most abundant species of the order in the state. Trapping in 
any section and under various conditions is sure to reveal this 
species at the outset and it continues to appear in the traps day 
after day until the collector, who is always desirous of variety, 
feels more or less disgusted and resolves to try another locality 
only to find the same condition of things. Deep woods, open 
fields, high or low grounds seem to attract it, in fact, one is not 
able to name a single place where it may not be found. 
This little animal is near the size of the common house mouse 
and is largely camiverous in its feeding habits. Some authors 
state that habitually it never takes vegetable food. Insects of 
various kinds are taken in large numbers, angle worms and snails 
are eaten commonly and small rodents, like mice of some species, 
often lose their lives to satisfy its insatiable appetite. Shull has 
given a very full account of the short-tailed shrew in the American 
Naturalist from observations taken at Ann Arbor and one should 
read this paper in order to know the ecomonic value of the species. 
Since mice and injurious insects are so often used as food by it the 
amount of good done is considerable and since it is not known to 
eat anything of special value we should consider this shrew almost 
wholly beneficial and worthy of consideration. 
The shrews do not have the habit of heaving the ground to the 
same extent as the moles and consequently are not considered 
particularly injurious from that standpoint. Although the 
common shrew is so abundant and found in every section of the 
state it is not seen usually by people who are not looking for it. 
Its retiring and more or less nocturnal habits prevent it from being 
seen often, and the odor which is associated with it is more or less 
of a protection from some animals which would otherwise prove 
