Montane shrew

The montane shrew (Sorex monticolus) is a type of shrew in the genus Sorex. It is also called the dusky shrew.[2]

Montane shrew
Dusky Shrew, Sorex monticolus - Flickr - GregTheBusker.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Sorex
Species:
S. monticolus
Binomial name
Sorex monticolus
Merriam, 1890
Dusky Shrew area.png
Montane shrew range

Description

Montane shrews are small, long tailed shrews. They can grow up to 103 and 142mm long. It moults two times a year. They are brownish and silvery white or gray in summer.[3]

Distribution and Habitat

The montane shrew can be found from northern Alaska to New Mexico and from the Pacific coast to central Manitoba. They also live in the Rocky Mountains, Blue Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada. They can be found on Vancouver Island and Queen Charlotte Island.[3]

Montane shrews live in a lot of habitats such as tundra, alpine meadows, forests, and prairies. They are usually found in forest floor. They almost never dig a burrow.[3]

Behavior

Montane shrews are live by themselves. They do not hibernate. They almost never sleep or rest. They are always eating.[3]

Feeding

Montane shrews are insectivorous. It eats insects and their larvae, earthworms, spiders, snails, and, rarely eats small salamanders. Montane shrews have been seen eating conifer seeds, lichens, and fungi.[3]

Reproduction

The breeding season may last from February to August. The gestation period is estimated to be about 13 to 28 days. The young ones are born in a small nest made from grass and kept under a rock or fallen tree. They are given birth to blind and naked. At the age of 3 weeks they are weaned. The expected to live up to 12 to 18 months.[3]

References

  1. Matson, J.; Woodman, N.; Castro-Arellano, I. & de Grammont, P.C. (2008). "Sorex monticolus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  2. Matson, J. (2016-09-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Sorex monticolus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Banasiak, Katarzyna. "Sorex monticolus (montane shrew)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2020-09-15.