Sorex tenellus
| Inyo Shrew
(Sorex tenellus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Suborder: | Erinaceota |
| Superfamily: | Soricoidea |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Subfamily: | Soricinae |
| Tribe: | Soricini |
| Genus: | Sorex |
| Subgenus: | Otisorex |
| Species group: | Sorex oreopolus group |
| Binomial details | |
| Sorex tenellus C. H. Merriam, 1895 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
Description
From Hoffman and Owen (1980): "Very small shrews; S. tenellus has a significantly larger skull than S. nanus. Sorex tenellus has a summer pelage that is slightly paler than nanus, being Drab Gray above, and smoke Gray tinged with buff below. Winter pelage is noticeably lighter, Pale Drab dorsally and Pale Smoke Gray to whitish ventrally."
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 85–106 | 32–42 | 10–12 | 6–7 | 4–8 |
| not reported | Hoffman and Owen (1980) | 85–103 (n=16) | 36–42 (n=17) | 3.4–4.1 | ||
| rangewide | Wilson & Ruff (editors, 1999) | 85–103 | 36–48 | 3.4–4.1 |
Skull
| Sorex tenellus skull characters | |
|---|---|
| units in mm | |
| Skull | |
| Condylobasal length: | 14.5–15.3 (Hoffman & Owen, 1980) |
| Postmandibular canal: | Absent |
| Shape: | Braincase is slightly rounded (based on images) |
| Dental | |
| Upper unicuspids: | 5 |
| Unicuspid notes: | U3<U4 |
| Tines present: | Yes |
| Tine size: | Tiny |
| Tine position: | Below upper limit of pigment on upper incisors |
| Shape upper incisors: | Diverging |
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MVZ:Mamm:226154. Lateral view of the skull of Sorex tenellus. Hash marks represent 1 mm. -
MVZ:Mamm:226154. Upper incisors of Sorex tenellus. Scale bar is 1 mm. -
MVZ:Mamm:226154. Upper incisors of Sorex tenellus. Scale bar is 1 mm. -
MVZ:Mamm:226154. Upper incisors of Sorex tenellus. Scale bar is 1 mm.
Similar species
Comparison with Sorex nanus
From Hoffman and Owen (1980): "No characters known to us, or to Diersing (in litt.) will reliably separate the two allospecies, although S. tenellus tends to be slightly larger, and with somewhat paler pelage (see also Spencer, 1966)."
References
Hoffmann RS, Owen JG. 1980. Sorex tenellus and Sorex nanus. Mammalian Species (131): 1-4.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Merriam CH. 1895. Synopsis of the American Shrews of the Genus Sorex. North American Fauna 10, 81.
Wilson DE, Ruff S, editors. 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington D.C. (USA): Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.