Northern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina brevicauda
Silhouette: Becky Barnes · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderSoricomorpha
- FamilySoricidae (Shrews)
- GenusBlarina (Short-tailed Shrews)
- SpeciesBlarina brevicauda (Northern Short-tailed Shrew)
About the Northern Short-tailed Shrew
The northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) is the largest shrew in the genus Blarina, and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. It is a semifossorial, highly active, and voracious insectivore and is present in a variety of habitats like broadleaved and pine forests among shrubs and hedges as well as grassy river banks. It is notable in that it is one of the few venomous mammals. The specific epithet, brevicauda, is a combination of the Latin brevis and cauda, meaning "short tail".
B. brevicauda is a red-toothed shrew, one of three or four species (depending on the authority) in the genus Blarina. It was formerly considered to be a sister subspecies of the southern short-tailed shrew (B. carolinensis). The species has been divided into 11 subspecies based on morphological characteristics, which are grouped into two semispecies: B. b. brevicauda and B. b. talpoides; these groupings were mirrored by a molecular systematics study of the mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence. The two groups of subspecies are thought to have been kept isolated from each other by Pleistocene glaciers.
This shrew has a total length of 108 to 140 mm (4... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Northern Short-tailed Shrew in Shenandoah National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Short-tailed Shrew in Shenandoah National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Short-tailed Shrew sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Short-tailed Shrew in Shenandoah National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Northern Short-tailed Shrew in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.