Southern Pygmy Shrew
Sorex hoyi winnemana
Description & Range:
The southern pygmy shrew is a subspecies of the pygmy shrew, which is the smallest mammal by weight in the United States. They weigh only 2 to 4 grams and are approximately 3 inches in total length, with their tail consisting of a third of that length. Like other shrew species, they have a pointed snout and small eyes and ears covered mostly by fur. Their fur is grayish-brown in the summer and gray in the winter, with the underside a lighter shade of gray. Their tail is also bicolored, darker on top and lighter underneath.
Pygmy shrews are found from Alaska through most of Canada and as far south as Colorado in the Rocky Mountains and the southern Appalachians near the coast. The southern subspecies (Sorex hoyi winnemana) ranges from southern Illinois east to Maryland, and along the Appalachian highlands south to Georgia.
Habitat:
Pygmy shrews live in a wide variety of habitat types, including coniferous and deciduous forests, swamps, clear-cut fields, bogs, and floodplains. They will occupy stumps, underground tunnel networks, leaf litter, moss, and several other microhabitats.
Diet:
Pygmy shrews eat a variety of insects and other invertebrates, including ants, spiders, flies, beetles, caterpillars, and earthworms.
Reproduction:
The mating season of the pygmy shrew is from June through August. The gestation period lasts about 18 days, and they produce one litter per year consisting of 3 to 8 young.
Sounds:
Pygmy shrews make a variety of sounds, including sharp squeaks, low purrs, and high-pitched whistling.
Behavior:
Like most shrews, pygmy shrews are active both day and night, spending most of their time
searching for food. They are excellent diggers, but will also utilize tunnel networks made by
other mammals or insects. When frightened, they will produce a musky odor as a form of
defense.
Sources:
Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America, Fourth Edition
https://www.nrs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/jrnl/2007/nrs_2007_ford_001.pdfhttps://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sorex_hoyi/https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104500/Sorex_hoyi_winnemana
