Species
American pygmy shrew
Sorex hoyi
One of the smallest mammals in North America, weighing about as much as a coin.
At a glance
- Size
- Body about 5 to 6 cm; tail about 2.5 to 3 cm
- Weight
- About 2 to 4 g
- Habitat
- Forests, clearings, bogs and grassy edges; in Georgia, mainly the north
- Diet
- Insects and their larvae, spiders and other small invertebrates
- Active
- Day and night, all year
- Shelter
- Runways under leaf litter, logs and moss
- Lifespan
- Usually a year or so
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Tiny; reddish-brown to greyish-brown back and paler belly; long, narrow snout; tail shorter than the body
- Told apart from
- Masked shrew, which looks very similar; the two are reliably told apart only by their teeth
- Told apart from
- Least shrew, which has a very short tail
- Where to look
- Seldom seen; forest leaf litter and grassy edges
Behaviour
The American pygmy shrew is one of the lightest mammals in the world, a little heavier than a dime. It lives in the leaf litter and under logs, feeding almost constantly on tiny insects and spiders, and does not hibernate.
It is rarely seen and was once thought to be very rare; better survey methods have shown it is more widespread than people assumed, though still seldom common anywhere.
Why they matter
A mammal this small is at the very edge of what warm-blooded life can manage. Pygmy shrews show how much energy a small body needs and how finely an animal can be tuned to find enough food to survive.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Breeding — late spring and summer
Litter — usually three to eight young
Lifespan — about a year
Much of this species' breeding biology is not well recorded.
Living around people
- Leaving logs and leaf litter in woodland keeps their habitat.
- Uncovered buckets, pits and window wells can trap tiny mammals like this one.
Misconceptions
- The smallest mammals are always babies. Pygmy shrews are fully grown at a few grams.
- Rare means absent. Pygmy shrews are simply hard to find.
Related species
- Masked shrew
- Smoky shrew
- Least shrew
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Active under leaves and snow | Active | Active | Breeding begins | Litters born | Young leave the nest | Breeding continues | Young disperse | Active | Active | Active in cold weather | Active under leaves and snow |
Where it lives
Recorded in 42 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
If you found one
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