| Scientific Name | Specimen Records |
|
|||
| Sorex dispar Batchelder | ATBI Database | ||||
| Common Name | |||||
| Long-tailed Shrew | |||||
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | |
| Animalia | Chordata | Mammalia | Insectivora | Soricidae | |
| Animals | Vertebrates | Mammals | Insectivores | Shrews | |
The long-tailed shrew inhabits the mountains from New Brunswick, Canada, south to Tennessee and North Carolina. They are found primarily at the higher elevations in the park. Preferred habitat for these shrews include talus slopes and rock slides in both deciduous and coniferous forests. They have been collected in man-made, artificial talus created by road-building in park. The long-tailed shrew has been designated as a species of "state concern" in North Carolina.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
- Adult Total Length: 110-132 mm (4½-4¾ in.)
- Tail: 50-59 mm (2-2⅜ in.)
- Hind Foot: 13-16.5 mm (⅝ in.)
- Weight: 4-8 g (1/10-¼ oz.)
- Physical Characteristics: The long-tailed shrew
is a medium-sized shrew with slate-gray pelage. The underparts may be slightly
paler than the back. The long, thick, sparsely haired tail is nearly uniform
in color, being blackish above and only slightly paler below. The feet are
whitish. Shrews possess long tapering snouts, and tiny eyes and ears. Hearing
and smelling are acute. The tips of the incisor teeth are dark chestnut in
color. Shrews have five toes on each foot.
Skull Drawings:
| Skull lateral view. | Skull dorsal view. | Skull ventral view. |
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 |
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| Click illustrations to enlarge. The Mammals of Virginia, by Donald W. Linzey. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. |
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DISTRIBUTION
North America:
 |
The long-tailed shrew inhabits the mountains from New Brunswick, Canada, south to Tennessee and North Carolina. |
In Park:
 Click maps to enlarge. |
Long-tailed shrews are found primarily at the higher elevations in the park, although several have been recorded in Greenbrier. |
NATURAL HISTORY
Habitat:
Preferred habitat for these shrews include talus slopes and rock slides in both deciduous and coniferous forests. They have been collected in man-made, artificial talus created by road-building in park. They also inhabit the subterranean tunnels that occur in the rocky crevices between boulders, and sometimes have been found beneath moss-covered logs in damp coniferous forests.
Reproduction:
The reproductive season appears to extend from April through August with litter sizes ranging from 2 to 5 young. Three males and three females taken November 24, December 3, and December 19 were all young of the year (Conaway and Pfitzer, 1952). Shrew nests are about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, with a 2 to 4 inch inside diameter. They are composed of finely shredded grasses and leaves. Young are weaned, and independent, at 4 weeks of age.
Longevity:
Long-tailed shrews probably do not survive more than two years in the wild.
Terrestrial Ecology:
Long-tailed shrews in the park have been recorded feeding on beetles and spiders.
The home range of shrews probably covers an area of ¼ to 1 acre.
Predators and Defense:
Snakes and weasels are potential predators.
Parasites:
None recorded from the park.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Special Protection Status:
- Rangewide: The long-tailed shrew has been designated
as a species of "state concern" in North Carolina.
- In Park: All plants and animals are protected
within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Collection requires a permit which
is usually granted only for research or educational purposes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Field work:
N/A
Supporting Institutions:
N/A
Text:
Dr. Donald W. Linzey, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA (wclinzd@wcc.vccs.edu)
Christy Brecht, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA (wcbrecc@wcc.vccs.edu)
Photographs:
Roger Barbour. All rights reserved.
Drawings:
The Mammals of Virginia, by Donald W. Linzey. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved.
Maps:
North America: The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals, edited by Don E. Wilson and Sue Ruff. Copyright 1999. All rights reserved.
In Park: Discover Life in America - All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. 2007. The ATBI Database. http://tremont22.campus.utk.edu/ATBI_start.cfm, Discover Life in America, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738.
Web page:
REFERENCES
Conway, C.H. 1952. Life History of the Water Shrew (Sorex palustris navigator). American Midland Naturalist 48(1): 219-248.
Kirkland, G.L., Jr. 1981. Sorex dispar and Sorex gaspensis. Mammalian Species No. 155: 1 - 4. American Society of Mammalogists.
Kirkland, G.L., Jr. 1999. Long-tailed Shrew. Pages 21-22. In: Wilson, D.E. and S. Ruff (editors). The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
Komarek, E. V. and R. Komarek. 1938. Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Science 5(6): 137-162.
Linzey, D. W. 1995a. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, Inc., Blacksburg, Virginia.
Linzey, D. W. 1995b. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park-1995 Update. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 111(1): 1-81.
