Sorex dispar Batchelder, 1911

Rock shrew

Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System external link, T Orrell (custodian) in 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC) external link Showing: scientific names

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General Description

Description

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Smithsonian's North American Mammals external link
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Smithsonian Institution - North American Mammals external link
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The Long-tailed Shrew probably uses its long tail for balance when it is climbing among the rocks or boulders that are always present where it lives. It spends almost all its time underground, and was, until recently, thought to be uncommon (not being where biologists set traps). Its particularly narrow skull and buck-toothed incisors give it the ability to extract insects, spiders, and centipedes from rocky crevices. Individuals in the north of this shrew's range are much smaller than individuals in the south. In most mammal species, the opposite is true—northern individuals tend to be larger.

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
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References
  • Batchelder, C.F., 1896.  An undescribed shrew of the genus Sorex, p.133.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 10:133-134.
"Sorex dispar Batchelder, 1911". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/337643". Accessed 22 Mar 2010.