The genus ''Sorex'' includes many of the common

shrews Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to different ...

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, and contains at least 142 known species and subspecies. Members of this genus, known as long-tailed shrews, are the only members of the tribe Soricini of the subfamily ''Soricinae'' (

red-toothed shrews The red-toothed shrews of the subfamily Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies of shrews, along with Crocidurinae (white-toothed shrews) and Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews). In addition, the family contains the extinct subfamil ...

). They have 32 teeth. These animals have long, pointed snouts, small ears, which are often not visible, and scent glands located on the sides of their bodies. As their eyesight is generally poor, they rely on hearing and smell to locate their prey, mainly insects. Some species also use echolocation. Distinguishing between species without examining the dental pattern is often difficult. 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.

Species

* Genus ''Sorex'' – most basal of the genera **

Kashmir pygmy shrew The Kashmir pygmy shrew (''Sorex planiceps'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in India and Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South ...

(''S. planiceps'') –

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

** Tibetan shrew (''S. thibetanus'') – endemic to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

* Subgenus ''Otisorex'' – mostly

n shrews with a few species found on the

Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and we ...

and islands in the

Bering Sea The Bering Sea (, ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasses on Earth: Eurasia and The Ameri ...

. ** Chiapan shrew (''S. chiapensis'') ** Cruz's long-tailed shrew (''S. cruzi'') **

Long-tailed shrew The long-tailed shrew or rock shrew (''Sorex dispar'') is a small shrew found in Atlantic Canada and the Northeastern United States. This shrew is slate grey in color with a pointed snout, a long tail, and lighter underparts. It is found on ro ...

(''S. dispar'') ***''Sorex dispar blitchi'' ***''Sorex dispar dispar'' **

Western pygmy shrew Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

(''S. eximius'') ***''Sorex eximius eximius'' ***''Sorex eximius montanus'' **

Smoky shrew The smoky shrew (''Sorex fumeus'') is a medium-sized North American shrew found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States and extends further south along the Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appal ...

(''S. fumeus'') ***''Sorex fumeus fumeus'' ***''Sorex fumeus umbrosus'' ** Eastern pygmy shrew (''S. hoyi'') ***''Sorex hoyi alnorum'' ***''Sorex hoyi hoyi'' ***''Sorex hoyi thompsoni'' ***''Sorex hoyi winnemana'' **

Ibarra shrew Ibarra (which means ''alluvial plain'' in Basque) may refer to: Places * Ibarra Canton, Ecuador ** Ibarra, Ecuador, the capital of Imbabura Province and the canton *** Roman Catholic Diocese of Ibarra, inside the city * Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, a local ...

(''S. ibarrai'') **

Large-toothed shrew The large-toothed shrew or Mexican large-toothed shrew (''Sorex macrodon'') is one of 77 species within the genus ''Sorex''. Registered on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable with a decreasing population, the Mexican large-toothed shrew has been reco ...

(''S. macrodon'') **

Sierra shrew Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...

(''S. madrensis'') ** McCarthy's shrew (''S. mccarthyi'') **

Carmen Mountain shrew The Carmen Mountain shrew (''Sorex milleri'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. ...

(''S. milleri'') **

Mutable shrew In object-oriented and functional programming, an immutable object (unchangeable object) is an object whose state cannot be modified after it is created.Goetz et al. ''Java Concurrency in Practice''. Addison Wesley Professional, 2006, Section 3. ...

(''S. mutabilis'') ** Dwarf shrew (''S. nanus'') ** Mexican long-tailed shrew (''S. oreopolus'') **

Orizaba long-tailed shrew The Orizaba long-tailed shrew (''Sorex orizabae'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the states of Federal District, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz in Mexico. It is named after Pico ...

(''S. orizabae'') **

Ornate shrew The ornate shrew (''Sorex ornatus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae (shrews). It is endemic to western North America, ranging from Northern California in the United States to Baja California in Mexico. Eight subspecies are known, ...

(''S. ornatus'') ***'' Sorex ornatus juncensis'' ***''S. o. lagunae'' ***''S. o. ornatus'' ***''S. o. relictus'' ***''S. o. salarius'' ***''S. o. salicornicus'' ***''S. o. sinuosus'' ***''S. o. willetti'' **

Inyo shrew The Inyo shrew (''Sorex tenellus'') is a species of shrew found in the western United States. Not much is known about its behavioral and reproductive habits. It is small, very similar in appearance to the related dwarf shrew (''Sorex nanus''), b ...

(''S. tenellus'') ** Verapaz shrew (''S. veraepacis'') ** Ixtlan shrew (''Sorex ixtlanensis'') ** ''S. vagrans'' complex ***

Glacier Bay water shrew The Glacier Bay water shrew (''Sorex alaskanus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Alaska in the United States. It can swim underwater, and when it stops swimming, air trapped in its fur lets it float back up to t ...

(''S. alaskanus'') ***

Eastern water shrew Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

(''S. albibarbis'') ****''S. a. gloveralleni'' ****''S. a. labradorensis'' ****''S. a. punctulatus'' ****''S. a. turneri'' ***

Baird's shrew Baird's shrew (''Sorex bairdi'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to northwest Oregon. Baird's shrew inhabits moist conifer forests. Description Its fur is darker brown in winter than in summer, when it is brownish- ...

(''S. bairdi'') ****''S. b. bairdi'' ****''S. b. permiliensis'' ***

Marsh shrew The marsh shrew (''Sorex bendirii''), also known as the Pacific water shrew, Bendire's water shrew, Bendire's shrew and Jesus shrew is the largest North American member of the genus ''Sorex'' (long-tailed shrews). Primarily covered in dark-brow ...

(''S. bendirii'') ****''S. b. albiventer'' ****''S. b. bendirii'' ****''S. b. palmeri'' ***

Montane shrew The montane shrew (''Sorex monticolus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae commonly known as the dusky shrew. ''Monticolus'' is derived from the Latin root word ''mons'' meaning mountain. It is found in Alaska, western Canada, the ...

(''S. monticola'') ****''S. m. calvertensis'' ****''S. m. insularis'' ****''S. m. isolatus'' ****''S. m. longicaudus'' ****''S. m. malitiosus'' ****''S. m. parvidens'' ****''S. m. prevostensis'' ****''S. m. setosus'' ***

New Mexico shrew The New Mexico shrew (''Sorex neomexicanus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only in New Mexico in the Capitan Mountains, Capitan and Sandia-Manzano Mountains. Its total length is . Its tail length is . It weighs .Ka ...

(''S. neomexicanus'') *** Northern montane shrew (''S. obscurus'') ****''S. m. alascensis'' ****''S. m. elassodon'' ****''S. m. obscurus'' ****''S. m. shumaginensis'' ****''S. m. soperi'' ***

Pacific shrew The Pacific shrew (''Sorex pacificus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to western Oregon in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) ...

(''S. pacificus'') ****''S. p. pacificus'' ****''S. p. cascadensis'' ***

Western water shrew Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

(''S. navigator'') ****''S. n. brooksi'' ****''S. n. navigator'' *** American water shrew (''S. palustris'') ****''S. p. hydrobadistes'' ****''S. p. palustris'' ***

Fog shrew The fog shrew (''Sorex sonomae) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to northern California and Oregon in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S ...

(''S. sonomae'') ****''S. s. sonomae'' ****''S. s. tenelliodus'' ***

Vagrant shrew The vagrant shrew (''Sorex vagrans''), also known as the wandering shrew, is a medium-sized North American shrew. At one time, the montane shrew and the Orizaba long-tailed shrew were considered to belong to the same species. Range and habitat ...

(''S. vagrans'') ****''S. v. halicoetes'' ****''S. v. paludivagus'' ****''S. v. vagrans'' ** ''S. cinereus'' group *** Kamchatka shrew (''S. camtschaticus'') *** Cinereous shrew (''S. cinereus'') ****''S. c. acadicus'' ****''S. c. cinereus'' ****''S. c. hollisteri'' ****''S. c. lesueurii'' ****''S. c. miscix'' ****''S. c. ohioensis'' ****''S. c. streatori'' *** Maryland shrew (''S. fontinalis'') *** Prairie shrew (''S. haydeni'') *** Saint Lawrence Island shrew (''S. jacksoni'') *** Paramushir shrew (''S. leucogaster'') ***

Southeastern shrew The southeastern shrew (''Sorex longirostris'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the southeastern United States. Description The southeastern shrew (''Sorex longirostris'') is reddish-brown above on its back, hea ...

(''S. longirostris'') *** Mount Lyell shrew (''S. lyelli'') *** Portenko's shrew (''S. portenkoi'') ***

Preble's shrew Preble's shrew (''Sorex preblei'') is a small shrew distributed across the Great Basin of the United States and southern British Columbia in Canada. It belongs to the order Eulipotyphla, family Soricidae and genus ''Sorex''. Description The Pr ...

(''S. preblei'') ***

Pribilof Island shrew The Pribilof Island shrew (''Sorex pribilofensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only on Alaska's Pribilof Islands The Pribilof Islands (formerly the Northern Fur Seal Islands; ale, Amiq, russian: Остро ...

(''S. pribilofensis'') *** Olympic shrew (''S. rohweri'') *** Barren ground shrew (''S. ugyunak'') * Subgenus ''Sorex'' ** Dneper common shrew (''S. averini'') ** Lesser striped shrew (''S. bedfordiae'') **

Greater stripe-backed shrew The greater stripe-backed shrew or stripe-backed shrew (''Sorex cylindricauda'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. I ...

(''S. cylindricauda'') ** Chinese highland shrew (''S. excelsus'') ** Azumi shrew (''S. hosonoi'') ** Chinese shrew (''S. sinalis'') **

Alaska tiny shrew The Alaska tiny shrew (''Sorex yukonicus'') is a species of shrew. It is endemic to Alaska. This species was formerly included under the description of the Eurasian least shrew (''S. minutissimus''). It was described as a separate species in 1997 ...

(''S. yukonicus'') ** ''S. alpinus'' group ***

Alpine shrew The alpine shrew (''Sorex alpinus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the alpine meadows and coniferous forests of central and southern European mountain ranges. Description The Alpine shrew is in length, not incl ...

(''S. alpinus'') *** Ussuri shrew (''S. mirabilis'') ** ''S. araneus'' group ***

Valais shrew The Valais shrew (''Sorex antinorii'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. Taxonomy Its karyotype has Ploidy#Diploid, 2n = 24/25 and Karyotype#Fundamental number, FN = 40. Until 2002, it was viewed as a chromosomal race of the wide-r ...

(''S. antinorii'') ***

Common shrew The common shrew (''Sorex araneus''), also known as the Eurasian shrew, is the most common shrew, and one of the most common mammals, throughout Northern Europe, including Great Britain, but excluding Ireland. It is long and weighs , and has ve ...

(''S. araneus'') *** Udine shrew (''S. arunchi'') ***

Crowned shrew The crowned shrew or Millet's shrew (''Sorex coronatus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the British island of Jersey. It i ...

(''S. coronatus'') ***

Siberian large-toothed shrew The Siberian large-toothed shrew (''Sorex daphaenodon'') is a species of shrew. An adult Siberian large-toothed shrew has a weight of and a body length of , with a tail of . This species is found across Northeast Asia, from Mongolia through nort ...

(''S. daphaenodon'') ****''S. d. daphaenodon'' ****''S. d. sanguinidens'' ****''S. d. scaloni'' *** Iberian shrew (''S. granarius'') ***

Caucasian shrew The Caucasian shrew (''Sorex satunini'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Armenia, Russia and Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a ...

(''S. satunini'') ** ''S. arcticus'' group *** Arctic shrew (''S. arcticus'') ****''S. a. arcticus'' ****''S. a. laricorum'' ***

Maritime shrew The maritime shrew (''Sorex maritimensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend f ...

(''S. maritimensis'') ** ''S. tundrensis'' *** Tien Shan shrew (''S. asper'') ***

Gansu shrew The Gansu shrew (''Sorex cansulus'') is a red-toothed shrew found only in a small part of Gansu province and other adjacent areas of China. With its very limited range, it is sensitive to habitat loss and is listed as a "vulnerable species" in ...

(''S. cansulus'') *** Tundra shrew (''S. tundrensis'') ** ''S. minutus'' group *** Buchara shrew (''S. buchariensis'') *** Kozlov's shrew (''S. kozlovi'') *** Caucasian pygmy shrew (''S. volnuchini'') ****''S. v. dahli'' ****''S. v. volnuchini'' ** ''S. caecutiens'' group *** Laxmann's shrew (''S. caecutiens'') ***

Taiga shrew The taiga shrew (''Sorex isodon''), also known as the even-toothed shrew can achieve a body length of about 67 millimeters, with a tail of about 43 millimeters. This shrew is very similar to the long-clawed shrew. This species inhabits forested ...

(''S. isodon'') ***

Eurasian least shrew The Eurasian least shrew (''Sorex minutissimus''), also called the lesser pygmy shrew, is the second-smallest mammal by mass after the Etruscan shrew. Appearance The Eurasian least shrew weighs only and has a body less than long, with a ta ...

(''S. minutissimus'') *** Eurasian pygmy shrew (''S. minutus'') *** Flat-skulled shrew (''S. roboratus'') ***

Shinto shrew The Shinto shrew (''Sorex shinto'') is a species of shrew of the genus ''Sorex'' that lives only on the islands of Japan. It is a mole-like mammal with a pointed snout, very small ears, and a relatively long tail. Like most shrews, it is tiny, ha ...

(''S. shinto'') ****''S. s. sadonis'' ****''S. s. shikokensis'' ****''S. s. shinto'' ***

Long-clawed shrew The long-clawed shrew (''Sorex unguiculatus'') is a species of shrew. An adult long-clawed shrew has a weight of less than and a body length of to , with a tail of to . It is distributed through the uplands of northeastern Asia, including nor ...

(''S. unguiculatus'') ** ''S. gracillimus'' group ***

Slender shrew The slender shrew (''Sorex gracillimus'') is a species of shrew. An adult slender shrew has a weight of and a body length of , with a tail of ; this makes it one of the smaller shrews found in its range. It is distributed across northeastern Nort ...

(''S. gracillimus'') ** ''S. raddei'' *** Radde's shrew (''S. raddei'') ** ''S. samniticus'' ***

Apennine shrew The Apennine shrew (''Sorex samniticus'') is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is loc ...

(''S. samniticus'') * Subgenus ''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' ** Alto shrew (''S. altoensis'') – Mexico ** Arizona shrew (''S. arizonae'') –

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

(

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

)

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

( Chihuahua) ** Zacatecas shrew (''S. emarginatus'') – Mexico ** Jalisco shrew (''S. mediopua'') – Mexico ** Merriam's shrew (''S. merriami'') – Western United States (

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, Arizona, New Mexico,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

) **

Saussure's shrew Saussure's shrew (''Sorex saussurei'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae, that is found in Mexico. There is also a disjointed population of shrews in Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, Repú ...

(''S. saussurei'') – Mexico and

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

***''S. s. godmani'' ***''S. s. saussurei'' ** Salvin's shrew (''S. salvini'') – Mexico and Guatemala ** Sclater's shrew (''S. sclateri'') – Mexico ** San Cristobal shrew (''S. stizodon'') – Mexico **

Trowbridge's shrew Trowbridge's shrew (''Sorex trowbridgii'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in southern British Columbia in Canada and in Washington, Oregon, and California in the United States. Taxonomy Trowbridge's shrew was first ...

(''S. trowbridgii'') –

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Coast United States (Washington, Oregon, California)

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

(southern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

) ***''S. t. destructioni'' ***''S. t. humboldtensis'' ***''S. t. mariposae'' ***''S. t. montereyensis'' ***''S. t. trowbridgii'' ** Chestnut-bellied shrew (''S. ventralis'') – Mexico **

Veracruz shrew The Veracruz shrew (''Sorex veraecrucis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in t ...

(''S. veraecrucis'') – Mexico ***''S. v. oaxacae'' ***''S. v. veraecrucis''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5607349 Mammal genera Red-toothed shrews Animals that use echolocation Mammals described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus