Blarina brevicauda

photo credit: Northwoods Stewardship Center

ID

  • Short, dense, grayish to grayish black fur
  • Slightly paler color on the belly
  • Cylindrical body and pointed snout
  • Very small eyes and ears
  • Tail is shorter than the length of the body (University of Georgia MNH)

Distribution

  Credit: Smithsonian Institution

Reproduction

  • Breeding season begins in late winter and lasts through the warm months
  • Gestation lasts about 22 days with an average litter size of 6-7 young
  • Females may produce 3-4 litters per year (Discover Life)

Behavior

  • Active at twilight and nighttime
  • Heart beats at 700 bpm
  • Communicate by clicks and squeaks, which are also used to echolocate (University of Georgia MNH)
  • Winter mortality can reach 90% some years
  • Are active in 4.5 minute bursts, followed by 24 minute rest periods (Smithsonian)

Food Habits

  • Must consume their total body weight in food each day
  • Have the highest metabolic rate of any mammal in North America
  • Toxic saliva allows these shrews to paralyze and kill their prey
  • Hunt in burrows or under leaf litter

Size/Life Cycle

  • Average Measurements: 118-139 mm (total length), 18-30 g (total weight) (Smithsonian)

Predators

  • Snakes, owls, hawks (University of Georgia MNH)

Habitat

  • Nest underground, lining nests with vegetation and sometimes fur
  • Sometimes use abandoned burrows or runways from other animals, but will also make their own under leaf litter, shallow soil, or logs (University of Georgia MNH)