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Sorex

(Genus)

Overview

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The genus Sorex includes many of the common shrews of Eurasia and North America. Members of this genus, known as long-tailed shrews, are the only members of the tribe Soricini of the subfamily Soricinae (red-toothed shrews). They have 32 teeth.

These animals have long pointed snouts, small ears which are often not visible and scent glands located on the side of the body. As their eyesight is generally poor, they rely on hearing and smell to locate their prey, mainly insects. Some species also use echolocation. It is often difficult to distinguish between species without examining the dental pattern.

In some species, a female shrew and her dependent young form "caravans", in which each shrew grasps the rear of the shrew in front, when changing location.

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young form "caravans", in which each shrew grasps the rear of the shrew in front, when changing location.

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References

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  1. ^ a b Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 282-300. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 

See also

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  • List of placental mammals

Taxonomy

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The Genus Sorex is further organized into finer groupings including:

References

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  1. ^ a b Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 282-300. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 16:48:32