Species
Southeastern shrew
Sorex longirostris
A tiny long-tailed shrew of southern fields and woods that few people ever see.
At a glance
- Size
- Body about 5 to 6 cm; tail about 3 cm
- Weight
- About 3 to 5 g
- Habitat
- Old fields, moist woods, swamp edges and brushy clearings
- Diet
- Insects and their larvae, spiders, worms and snails
- Active
- Day and night, all year
- Shelter
- Leaf litter, grass and the runways of other small mammals
- Lifespan
- Usually a year or so
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Tiny; reddish-brown back, paler belly; long tail; long, pointed snout
- Told apart from
- Least shrew, which has a very short tail
- Told apart from
- Short-tailed shrews, which are grey, larger and short-tailed
- Told apart from
- Masked shrew, which is very similar but in Georgia lives only in the mountains
- Where to look
- Seldom seen; under boards and logs in old fields and moist woods across Georgia
Behaviour
Southeastern shrews live in the leaf litter and grass of southern fields and woods, hunting small invertebrates. They are active through day and night, and all year.
They are small, secretive and rarely seen, and much of their life history is still poorly known. Most records come from surveys rather than from chance sightings.
Why they matter
Southeastern shrews are part of the unseen web of small predators that keeps insect numbers in check in southern grasslands and woods, and a food source for owls, snakes and other hunters.
How little is known about them is itself worth knowing: even common animals in well-studied places can remain almost unknown.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Breeding — spring to autumn
Litter — usually one to six young
Lifespan — about a year
Much of this species' breeding biology is not well recorded.
Living around people
- Leaving leaf litter and uncut grassy edges keeps their habitat.
- Cats catch small shrews in yards near fields.
Misconceptions
- A tiny brown animal in the grass is a mouse. It may be one of our least-known mammals.
- All shrews are grey. This one is reddish-brown.
Related species
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 in leaf litter | Active | Breeding begins | Litters born | Young leave the nest | Breeding continues | Active | Breeding continues | Autumn litters | Active | Active | Active in leaf litter |
Where it lives
Recorded in 16 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.
I found an animal