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Sorex longirostris

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Southeastern Shrew
(Sorex longirostris)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Eulipotyphla
Suborder:Erinaceota
Family:Soricidae
Subfamily:Soricinae
Tribe:Soricini
Genus:Sorex
Subgenus:Otisorex
Species group:Sorex cinereus group
Binomial details
Sorex longirostris Bachman, 1837

Description

From French (1980): "Color of dorsum Prout's brown or mummy brown above, cinnamon brown or ochraceous tawny below (Jackson, 1928). S. l. fisheri [subspecies in very southeast Virginia and northwest North Carolina] is similar in appearance to S. l. longirostris but is usually duller above and more tinged with drab or wood brown below (Jackson, 1928). The colors of S. l. eionis [subspecies restricted to Florida] are described as very dark chestnut dorsally, becoming lighter and richer on the sides (Davis, 1957)."

From Best & Hunt (2020): “This shrew is small compared to many other members of the genus. The dorsum is brownish, and the ventrum is cinnamon to orangish.”

Sorex longirostris from northern Virginia.
Sorex longirostris subspecies eionis from Putnam County, Florida.

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) females: 83 (71–90) (n=23) females: 31 (26–34) (n=23) females: 10 (9–11) (n=23) females: 3.7 (2.6–5.6) (n=23)
Alabama Best & Dusi (2014) males: 81 (73–88) (n=23) males: 30 (27–33) (n=23) males: 10 (9–11) (n=23) males: 3.2 (2.7–4.0) (n=23)
Alabama French (1980a) 77.0–92.0 (n=91) 27.0–33.0 (n=91) 9.0–11.0 (n=91)
Alabama and Georgia French (1980a) 68.0–94.0 (n=270) 24.0–37.0 (n=270) 8.0–11.0 (measured without claw; claw = about 1 mm; n=270) 2–5.8 (n=270)
Alabama and Georgia Whitaker Jr. & Hamilton Jr. (1998) 68–94 (n=270) 24–37 (n=270) 9.0–12.0 (n=270)
Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland Webster et al. (1985) 72–116 21–51 10–14
Florida (subspecies eionis; Homosassa Springs) Davis (1957) 91–100 (n=10) 29–34 (n=10) French (1980a)
Great Lakes Region Kurta (2017) 77–92 26–32 9–11 3–6
Indiana Whitaker Jr. & Hamilton Jr. (1998) 72–90 (n=33) 26–33 (n=33) 9–11 (n=33) 3–4 (n=33)
rangewide Wilson & Ruff (editors, 1999) 77–102 27–40 2–5.8
subspecies fisheri (northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia) French (1980a) 92–102 (n=6) 34–40 (n=6) 11.5–13.0 (n=6)
Virginia Linzey (1998) 72–108 25–40 3.3–5.6


Color variation

This section shows some of the color variation present in Sorex longirostris. The location is provided for reference only. The individual shown does not necessarily represent the only color variant within the local population.

Subspecies

From Jones et al. (1991): "The subspecies of S. longirostris are distinguished by size and color. Bachman (1837) described S. longirostris on the basis of two specimens from the mouth of the Santee River, South Carolina. Southeastern shrews from the Dismal Swamp were described as S. fisheri by Merriam (1895) based on larger body size, larger and heavier skull, longer hind feet and ears, and duller color. Rhoades and Young (1897:311), who examined a specimen of S. fisheri from Chapanoke, Perquimans Co., North Carolina, that they considered intermediate in size and coloration to Merriam's specimens, suggested that S. longirostris and S. fisheri "may eventually be found to intergrade on the outskirts of Dismal Swamp." Based on his examination of the Perquimans specimen and Merriam's material, Jackson (1928) recognized the Dismal Swamp taxon as a subspecies of S. longirostris. S. l. eionis was distinguished by a dark chestnut color, large skull and total length, and short tail (Davis, 1957). Davis (1957) considered this taxon limited to the west coast of Florida, possibly restricted to Citrus Co. He regarded a specimen from Putnam Co., with tail and cranial measurements similar to those of S. l. eionis, but with relatively short body, as an intermediate specimen."

Jones et al. (1991) examination of the geographic variation of seven skull, dental, and external measurements found: "These results support the major findings of Jackson (1928) and Davis (1957), confirming the existence of three subspecies of S. longirostris. Although S. l. eionis is endemic to Florida, its distribution is much larger than the type locality. It occurs in the northern two-thirds of peninsular Florida, but population samples were insufficient to delimit the exact distribution of S. l. eionis or its zone of intergradation with S. l. longirostris. Populations from the Florida panhandle and central Georgia and South Carolina are referable to S. l. longirostris. Sorex l. fisheri appears limited in distribution to the vicinity of the historical Dismal Swamp of Virginia and North Carolina. Specimens ≥30 km beyond the Swamp are referable to S. l. longirostris, but the exact local distribution of this subspecies was not determined. Further work is needed to define its local range and degree of intergradation with S. l. longirostris. Attention is called to the similarity of the few specimens from coastal South Carolina to S. l. fisheri; additional specimens from this region might modify the present concept of the distribution of this subspecies. Sorex l. longirostris is widespread and apparently common in most of its range."

From Webster et al. (2009): "The Dismal Swamp southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris fisheri) has a much broader geographic distribution than previously reported, extending from southeastern Virginia southward throughout the Lower Coastal Plain as far south as New Hanover, Brunswick, and Columbus counties in southern North Carolina. In southeastern Virginia, shrews from Isle of Wight County, the City of Chesapeake, and the City of Virginia Beach are referable to S. l. fisheri, whereas those from Surry, Sussex, and Southampton counties are assignable to S. l. longirostris. Shrews from the Piedmont and Mountain regions of Virginia and North Carolina are clearly assignable to S. l. longirostris. Thus, the zone of intergradation between S. l. longirostris and S. l. fisheri is relatively narrow in southeastern Virginia (where the Coastal Plain is relatively narrow), but it is relatively wide in southeastern North Carolina, where the Coastal Plain is relatively wide."

Means of skull and external measurements of Sorex longirostris subspecies. Borrowed from Jones et al. (1991).

Skull

Sorex longirostris skull characters
units in mm
Skull
Condylobasal length:13.8–15.6, except S. l. fisheri 15.4–16.4 (French, 1980)
Postmandibular canal:Absent
Shape:Braincase is rounded
Dental
Upper unicuspids:5
Unicuspid notes:U3<U4; U3 and U4 sometimes subequal
Tines present:Yes
Tine size:Small
Tine position:At or just below pigment line
Shape upper incisors:Strongly diverging

The third upper unicuspid is typically smaller than the fourth. French (1980a) observed that some individuals in Alabama, Georgia, and Indiana had third unicuspids that were equal to or nearly equal to the fourth unicuspid. Davis (1957) noted that the skulls of S. l. fisheri are larger and relatively narrower than in S. l. longirostris and skulls of S. l. eionis are intermediate in size but otherwise similar to S. l. longirostris.

From French (1980b): "In Sorex longirostris, unicuspids are crowded and the molariform teeth are relatively small relative to those of S. cinereus. Dental pigmentation usually is much paler or redder in appearance and the first incisors, both upper and lower, are relatively much smaller in S. longirostris. The skull of Sorex longirostris is smaller and shorter and the rostrum is broader than is that of S. cinereus. Miller (1895) noted the palate as being "remarkably broad and short" with the upper toothrows widely separated compared to those of S. cinereus."

  • Upper incisors of Sorex longirostris from Clarke County, Virginia.

Similar species

From Best & Hunt (2020): “When compared to the cinereus shrew, the southeastern shrew has a relatively shorter and slimmer tail. Usually, southeastern shrews can be distinguished from other members of this genus in the southeastern United States by the third upper unicuspid being smaller than the fourth.”

  • Sorex longirostris from Clarke County, Virginia.
  • Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus) from Worcester County, Massachusetts.

References

Bachman J. 1837. Some remarks on the genus Sorex, with a monograph of the North American species. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 7(2):362-402.

Best TL, Hunt JL. 2020. Mammals of the southeastern United States. Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.

Davis Jr JA. 1957. A new shrew (Sorex) from Florida. American Museum Novitates 1844: 1-9.

French TW. 1980a. Sorex longirostris. Mammalian Species (143): 1-3.

French TW. 1980b. Natural history of the southeastern shrew, Sorex longirostris Bachman. American Midland Naturalist, pp.13-31.

Jones CA, Humphrey SR, Padgett TM, Rose RK, Pagels JF. 1991. Geographic variation and taxonomy of the southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris). Journal of Mammalogy 72(2):263-272.

Miller Jr GS. 1895. The long-tailed shrews of the eastern United States. North American Fauna 10:35-56.

Webster WD, Moncrief ND, Gurshaw BE, Loxterman JL, Rose RK, Pagels JF, Erdle SY. 2009. Morphometric and allozymic variation in the southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris). Jeffersoniana 21:pp.1-13.

Whitaker JO, Hamilton WJ. 1998. Mammals of the eastern United States. Ithaca, (NY, USA): Cornell University Press.

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