Masked shrew

Masked shrews are the most widespread shrews in North America, found from Alaska to the Appalachians. They are tiny and restless, feeding every few hours through the day and night, because their small bodies lose heat quickly.

They hunt insects, larvae and spiders in the leaf litter and moss, and do not hibernate. In Georgia they are known only from the higher mountains of the northeast.

Masked shrews eat insects in huge numbers for their size, including the larvae of sawflies and other insects that feed on trees.

Their need to eat almost constantly makes them one of the clearest examples of how small warm-blooded animals live on a knife-edge, and why winter is a real test for animals that do not hibernate.

Breeding — spring to autumn
Gestation — about 18 to 22 days
Litter — usually four to eight young
Weaning — at about three weeks old
Lifespan — rarely much more than a year

• Leaving logs, moss and leaf litter in woodland keeps their habitat.
• Cats and uncovered buckets or pits can trap and kill them.

• Shrews are baby mice. They are adults of a different group entirely.
• Small animals hibernate through winter. Masked shrews stay active and must eat constantly.

• American pygmy shrew
• Smoky shrew
• Southeastern shrew
• Northern short-tailed shrew