Cryptotis parvus
North American Least Shrew
(Cryptotis parvus) | |
---|---|
Range | |
![]() | |
Taxonomic classification | |
Order: | Eulipotyphla |
Suborder: | Erinaceota |
Family: | Soricidae |
Subfamily: | Soricinae |
Tribe: | Blarinini |
Genus: | Cryptotis |
Species group: | Cryptotis parvus group |
Binomial details | |
Cryptotis parvus (Say, 1823) |
Description
From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The least shrew is a tiny mammal with a long, pointed snout and a short tail. Color varies from brown to grayish brown, often slightly darker on the back than on the belly. The ear openings are large but hidden by fur. The limbs and feet are small."
From Best & Hunt (2020): "North American least shrews are small, brownish short-tailed shrews with inconspicuous ears, tiny black eyes, and a long and pointed snout. Their fur is dense, short, and velvety."
From Schmidly & Bradley (2016): "One of the smallest mammals; snout long and pointed; ears small and concealed in the short fur; eyes small; tail never more than twice as long as hind foot; fur dense; upperparts grizzled olive brown, paler below."
From Woodman (2018): "Some preliminary data suggest, however, that throughout the distribution of C. parvus, coastal populations have larger size than nearby inland populations. Rather than a genetically distinctive subspecies, this variation, together with latitudinal clinal variation in body size, may result in seemingly complex geographic patterns of body size variation."
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Best & Dusi (2014) | 73 (56–82) (n=24) | 17 (13–23) (n=24) | 10 (8–11) (n=24) | 3.8 (2.8–5.2) (n=13) | |
Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland | Webster et al. (1985) | 70–92 | 13–26 | 9–13 | ||
Colorado | Armstrong et al. (2010) | 70–100 | 9–13 | 3–5 | ||
Georgia (southeastern) and Florida | Whitaker Jr. & Hamilton Jr. (1998) | 79.5 (n=5) | 21 (n=5) | 11 (n=5) | 4–5 (n=5) | |
Great Lakes Region | Kurta (2017) | 64–86 | 9–12 | 4–6.5 | ||
Indiana | Lindsay (1960); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | 77.1 | 16.3 | 11.2 | ||
Indiana | Mumford (1969); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | males: 74.3; females: 77.2 | males: 15.6; females: 16.5 | males: 10.0; females: 10.5 | ||
Maryland | Paradiso (1969); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | 76.3 | 15.2 | 10 | ||
Minnesota | Hazard (1982) | 80 (n=1) | 20 (n=1) | 11.5 (n=1) | 4.2–5.6 | |
New Jersey | Connor (1953); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | 84.4 | 20.4 | 11.6 | ||
New York and Virginia | Whitaker Jr. & Hamilton Jr. (1998) | 83 (n=10) | 17.5 (n=10) | 11 (n=10) | ||
North Carolina | Hamilton (1943); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | 75 | 16.4 | 10.6 | ||
North Carolina (Raleigh) | Whitaker Jr. & Hamilton Jr. (1998) | 75 (n=25) | 16.4 (n=25) | 10.6 (n=25) | 4.5–5 (n=25) | |
North Carolina and Tennessee | Komarek & Komarek (1938); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | males: 74.3; females: 74.0 | males: 18.4; females: 18.0 | males: 10; females: 10.0 | ||
rangewide | Naughton (2012) | 75–92 | 13–23 | 10.0–12.5 | 4.4–7.5 | |
rangewide | Wilson & Ruff (editors, 1999) | 61–89 | 19–37 | 3–10 | ||
Texas | Choate (1970); compiled by Whitaker Jr. (1974) | 78.2 | 17.3 | 10.7 | ||
Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 79 | 18 | 10.5 | 4–7.5 | |
Virginia | Linzey (1998) | 75 | 12–19 | 2.8–5.7 |
Color variation
This section shows some of the color variation present in Cryptotis parvus. The location is provided for reference only. The individual shown does not necessarily represent the only color variant within the local population.
-
Virginia, Clarke County
-
Virginia, Clarke County
Skull
From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The skull is delicate but higher and broader than in Sorex. Greatest length of skull ranges from 14 to 16 mm. The teeth are brown-tipped. There are 4 unicuspid teeth on each side of the upper jaw, each of them slightly smaller than the one in front. The last unicuspid is minute and rarely visible from the side."
From Best & Hunt (2020): "The North American least shrew is distinguished from other shrews in the Southeast by the presence of four unicuspid teeth on either side of the upper jaw. Unicuspid 4 is tiny and hidden when the cranium is viewed from the side, but this tooth is visible when the palatal region is examined. As in other North American shrews, cusps of teeth are chestnut colored."
Similar species
From Armstrong et al. (2010): "Students sometimes mistake the skull of this shrew for that of Notiosorex crawfordii, failing to notice the last small unicuspid tooth. Externally, the 2 species may also be confused unless one looks for the conspicuous ears, heavier tail, and grayish (rather than brownish) color of the desert shrew [Notiosorex crawfordii]."
Taxonomic notes
From Woodman (2018): "Preliminary genetic evidence indicates that C. parvus may include two cryptic species, possibly distributed to the west (C. parvus) and to the east (C. harlani) of the Mississippi River (He et al., 2015)."
References
Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.
Best TL, Dusi JL. 2014. Mammals of Alabama (Vol. 4). Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
Best TL, Hunt JL. 2020. Mammals of the southeastern United States. Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
Hazard EB. 1982. The mammals of Minnesota. Minneapolis (MN, USA): University of Minnesota Press.
He K, Woodman N, Boaglio S, Roberts M, Supekar S, Maldonado JE. 2015. Molecular phylogeny supports repeated adaptation to burrowing within small-eared shrews genus of Cryptotis (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae). PLOS ONE 10(10): p.e0140280.
Kurta A. 2017. Mammals of the Great Lakes region. Ann Arbor (MI, USA): University of Michigan Press.
Linzey DW. 1998. The mammals of Virginia. McDonald & Woodward Publishing.
Naughton D. 2012. The natural history of Canadian mammals. Toronto (ON, CA): University of Toronto Press.
Say T. 1823. In James, E. Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, performed in the years 1819 and '20 : by order of the Hon. J.C. Calhoun, sec'y of war: under the command of Major Stephen H. Long.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.
Webster WD, Parnell JF, Biggs WC. 1985. Mammals of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Chapel Hill (NC, USA): University of North Carolina Press.
Wilson DE, Ruff S, editors. 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington D.C. (USA): Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.
Woodman N. 2018. American Recent Eulipotyphla: nesophontids, solenodons, moles, and shrews in the New World. Washington D.C. (USA): Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.1943-6696.650.