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Soricidae

From WhiskerWiki

Family Soricidae
Taxonomic classification
Order:Eulipotyphla
Suborder:Erinaceota

Introduction

Shrews are small mammals with short legs, a long flexible nose, small ears, and tiny eyes. From van Zyll de Jong (1983): "Most soricids are terrestrial, some are semi-fossorial (Cryptotis, Blarina), and others are adapted to a semi-aquatic way of life (e.g. Sorex palustris). Shrews are active day and night and in all seasons. They are chiefly insectivorous; the large species, to some extent are also carnivorous and some are known to eat seeds seasonally. The semi-aquatic forms are more or less piscivorous."

The skull is recognized by an elongated rostrum (snout); lack of zygomata (or zygomatic arches); first incisor enlarged; tympanic bone is a simple ring; and lack of auditory bullae (Hoffmeister, 1986). This family includes the the smallest terrestrial mammals and the only venomous mammal in North America, Blarina brevicauda. Four genera are represented within the family Soricidae in the United States and all are within the subfamily Soricinae, the red-toothed shrews: Blarina, Cryptotis, Notiosorex, and Sorex.

  • Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda), the largest shrew in North America. Image by Gilles Gonthier.
  • Notiosorex observed by Naturegirlkh.
  • Sorex observed by Asmedley.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Blarina brevicauda, showing an elongated rostrum, red-tipped teeth, and enlarged first incisors.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Cryptotis parvus, showing an elongated rostrum, red-tipped teeth, and enlarged first incisors.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Notiosorex crawfordii, showing an elongated rostrum, red-tipped teeth, and enlarged first incisors.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Sorex monticolus, showing an elongated rostrum, red-tipped teeth, and enlarged first incisors.
  • Top (dorsal) view of a Sorex skull showing the location of the missing zygomata. All soricids lack zygomata.
  • Tympanic rings (bones) on underside (ventral side) of the skull of Sorex monticola, which are characteristic of members of the family Soricidae

Available taxon pages

The following subfamilies are available on WhiskerWiki for this family:


References

Hoffmeister DF. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. Tucson (AZ, USA): University of Arizona Press.

van Zyll de Jong CG. 1983. Handbook of Canadian mammals-marsupials and insectivores. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, 1:1-210.

Woodman N. 2018. American Recent Eulipotyphla: Nesophontids, Solenodons, Moles, and Shrews in the New World. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.1943-6696.650

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