Species: Sorex monticolus

Dusky Shrew
Species
Mammals
Show on Lists
Terrestrial vertebrates: mammals

Pacific coast: pelage gray brown; median tine on anteriomedial edge of I1 usually large and robust; tail indistinctly bicolored; 5 or 6 pairs of friction pads on second to fourth digits of hind feet; level of pigmentation above level of median tine on I1; body size small to medium; U5 triangular, body of U1s not touching, P4 overlapping U5; zygomatic process of maxillary pointed (Carraway 1990).

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class

Mammalia

Order

Soricomorpha

Family

Soricidae

Genus

Sorex

Natureserve Explorer
Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101738
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Montane Shrew - Una Musaraña - musaraigne sombre
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Other Mammals
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Soricomorpha - Soricidae - Sorex - species.

Pacific coast: pelage gray brown; median tine on anteriomedial edge of I1 usually large and robust; tail indistinctly bicolored; 5 or 6 pairs of friction pads on second to fourth digits of hind feet; level of pigmentation above level of median tine on I1; body size small to medium; U5 triangular, body of U1s not touching, P4 overlapping U5; zygomatic process of maxillary pointed (Carraway 1990).

Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Feeds primarily on insects and other small invertebrates (worms, sowbugs, molluscs, etc.). Also consumes some vegetable matter.
Reproduction Comments
Breeding season extends from April-August. Average litter size is about 5, but ranges up to 7 (van Zyll de Jong 1983). Information on reproduction from different parts of the range is needed.
Ecology Comments
Most individuals probably do not live longer than 18 months. Mean home range estimates = 1227 sq m for nonbreeders, 4020 sq m for breeders (van Zyll de Jong 1983). Apparently not territorial in breeding season; may move widely (van Zyll de Jong 1983)
Length
13
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-01
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-01
Other Status

LC - Least concern

Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S5&CA.BC=S5&CA.MB=S3&CA.NT=S5&CA.SK=S5&CA.YT=S5&US.AK=S5&US.AZ=S4&US.CA=SNR&US.CO=S5&US.ID=S3&US.MT=S5&US.NN=S3&US.NV=S3&US.NM=S4&US.OR=S4&US.UT=S3&US.WA=S4&US.WY=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Alaska to southern California, east to western Manitoba, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico (not south-central), Chihuahua, and Durango; many populations exist on relatively isolated mountain ranges in the southern half of the range ( Hutterer, in Wilson and Reeder 1993; Smith and Belk 1996). See Alexander (1996) for information on distributions of subspecies.
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101738