Cinereus shrew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cinereous shrew |
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| Conservation status | |
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Sorex
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| Species: |
cinereus
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| Cinereus shrew range | |
The cinereous shrew (say SIN-er-ee-us SHROO), also known as the masked shrew or common shrew, is a small, mouse-like mammal. It lives across a large part of North America. You can find it in places like Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The cinereous shrew has soft, grey-brown fur. Its belly is a lighter grey. It has a long, pointed nose and a long tail. This tiny animal is about 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) long. That includes its tail, which is about 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) long. It's very light, weighing only about 5 grams (0.18 ounces). That's about the weight of two pennies! These shrews can live for up to two years.
Where Do Cinereous Shrews Live?
Cinereous shrews live in many parts of North America. You can find them from the northern areas all the way down to the southern parts. Their home range stretches to the Rocky Mountains in the west. It also reaches the Appalachians in the east.
This shrew was brought to Newfoundland in the late 1950s. They can live in many different places. These include dry grasslands, wet areas, forests, and even cold tundra. They especially like places that are humid and have lots of plants to hide in.
What Do Cinereous Shrews Eat?
Cinereus shrews are very hungry! They eat many different things. Their diet includes insects, worms, snails, and even small rodents. They also eat salamanders and seeds.
These shrews have a very fast metabolism. This means their bodies burn energy quickly. Because of this, they need to eat almost constantly. They can only survive for a few hours without food.
Who Hunts the Cinereous Shrew?
Even though they are small, cinereous shrews have many animals that hunt them. Their predators include larger shrews and different kinds of birds. These birds are hawks, owls, shrikes, and even bluebirds.
Other animals that hunt them are snakes, herons, and foxes. Even leopard frogs, brown trouts, and weasels will try to catch them.
How Do Cinereous Shrews Behave?
The cinereous shrew can be active during the day or night. This often depends on the weather. They like to dig tunnels underground. They also use tunnels that other small mammals have already made.
Inside these tunnels, they build nests using dry grass. Cinereous shrews are quite territorial. This means they do not like other shrews coming into their space.
How Do Cinereous Shrews Have Babies?
Cinereous shrews have their babies from May to September. A female shrew usually gives birth to 6 or 7 young ones at a time. When they are born, the baby shrews are hairless. They also do not have claws yet.
The young shrews grow quickly. They become ready to have their own babies when they are about two months old. However, they usually wait until their first spring to start breeding.
Images for kids
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A litter of four newborn masked shrews.
