Arctic shrew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arctic shrew |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sorex
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| Species: |
arcticus
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| Arctic shrew range | |
The Arctic shrew (Sorex arcticus) is a small, busy mammal. It is also called the blackback shrew or saddlebacked shrew. You can find this shrew in Canada and the northern parts of the United States.
Some scientists think that the maritime shrew (Sorex maritimensis) is its own species. This shrew lives in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It used to be thought of as a type of Arctic shrew. Also, the tundra shrew (Sorex tundrensis) was once considered a subspecies of the Arctic shrew.
Contents
What Does the Arctic Shrew Look Like?
The Arctic shrew is special because of its fur. It has three different colors!
- Its back, from head to tail, is dark brown or black.
- Its sides are a lighter brown.
- Its belly is an even lighter grayish-brown.
Even its tail has two colors. It's dark brown on top and fades to a lighter brown underneath. In winter, their fur becomes grayer. The three colors are easiest to see then. This is because their winter fur is thicker and brighter.
Arctic shrews change their fur twice a year. Younger shrews do not have such clear color bands.
Size and Weight
An Arctic shrew is about 10 to 12 centimeters (4 to 5 inches) long. This includes its tail, which is about 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) long. They weigh between 5 and 13 grams (about the weight of a few paper clips). They have 32 teeth. Their bodies use a lot of energy, about 4.7 kilocalories each day.
Where Do Arctic Shrews Live?
Arctic shrews are native to North America. They live from the Arctic Circle in the north. Their range goes as far south as the northern United States. This includes states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.
To the east, they live in eastern Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. To the west, they are found in the southern Yukon and near the Mackenzie River.
Arctic Shrew Habitats
Arctic shrews live in many different places. They are most common near water. You can find them near lakes, streams, marshes, wetlands, bogs, and swamps. They also like open areas near wetlands.
In some areas, like Michigan, they live in spruce and tamarack swamps. You might also find them in clearings in boreal forests. Sometimes, they live in mixed conifer swamps or old fields. They can also be found in thick grass near ditches. They hide in the undergrowth of forest clearings. They like areas with willow and red-osier shrubs.
How Do Arctic Shrews Reproduce?
We don't know much about how Arctic shrews find mates. However, most male shrews mate with many females. They also compete with other males. So, Arctic shrews likely do the same.
In Wisconsin, they breed from February to August. In colder northern areas, the breeding season is shorter. It lasts from April to August. Female Arctic shrews usually have one or two litters each year. A litter can have 4 to 10 babies. On average, they have 7 babies per litter.
Baby Shrews
It takes about 13 to 21 days for the babies to develop inside the mother. Young shrews stay with their mother until they are about 5 to 6.5 weeks old. Male shrews do not help raise the young.
When they are born, baby Arctic shrews are very helpless. Their mother takes care of them. She feeds them until they are 20 to 24 days old. Both male and female Arctic shrews can have babies after one year. Sadly, about half of all young shrews die in their first month. An Arctic shrew usually lives for about 18 months in the wild.
Arctic Shrew Behaviour
Arctic shrews are solitary animals. This means they like to be alone. Adult shrews protect their own space. In one study, if two Arctic shrews were put in the same cage, one would die within a few days. There were no signs of injury on the dead shrew.
Arctic shrews are active both day and night. They move very quickly. When they rest, they lie on the ground. They might lie on their side or curl up with their head tucked under their body. To clean themselves, they quickly wipe their forefeet along their mouth.
What Do They Eat?
Like all shrews, the Arctic shrew is always hungry! They have a very fast metabolism. This means their bodies burn energy quickly. They eat insects, worms, and small invertebrates. A big part of their diet is larch sawflies. Shrews in captivity have eaten dead voles, fly pupae, and mealworms.
The only known predators of Arctic shrews are owls.
See also
In Spanish: Musaraña ártica para niños
