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The northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) is the largest shrew in the genus Blarina, [3] and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. [4] It is a semifossorial, highly active, and voracious insectivore and is present in a variety of habitats like broadleaved and pine forests among shrubs and hedges as well as grassy river banks. [5]
All shrews are tiny, most no larger than a mouse. The largest species is the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus) of tropical Asia, which is about 15 cm (6 in) long and weighs around 100 g (3 + 1 ⁄ 2 oz) [2] The Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), at about 3.5 cm (1 + 3 ⁄ 8 in) and 1.8 grams (28 grains), is the smallest known living terrestrial mammal.
The order Eulipotyphla consists of 486 extant species belonging to 53 genera.This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species. Modern molecular studies indicate that the 53 genera can be grouped into 4 families, and some of these families are subdivided into named subfamilies.
The American, or northern, short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) The woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum) The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), typical of Canada, reaches its southernmost distribution in West Virginia.
The shrew subfamily Soricinae consists of thirteen genera.The majority of the species are contained within Cryptotis, with 41 species, and Sorex, with 76 species.The remaining shrews are split between Chodsigoa with eight species; Chimarrogale with six; Anourosorex, Episoriculus, Neomys, and Notiosorex with four species each; Blarina and Blarinella with three species each, and Megasorex ...
Soricidin is a paralytic oligopeptide found in the venomous saliva of the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda); [1] in the wild, shrews use it to paralyze their prey (typically insects). [2] Its name is a reference to "Soricidae", the family to which shrews belong. [3]
The North American least shrew will also sometimes live inside beehives and eat all the larvae. It will often share its food with other shrews. It eats more than its body weight each day and is known to store food. [4] [7] The North American least shrew makes its home in burrows or shallow runways under flat stones or fallen logs.
The way it is said to attack chicks, by first biting a tendon, immobilizing it and then killing and eating it, could indicate that it has a venomous bite that paralyses, as at least two other shrews species have (i.e. the Eurasian water shrew and the Northern short-tailed shrew). [12]