Marsh Shrew
Encyclopedia
The Marsh Shrew also known as the Pacific Water Shrew, is a large North America
n shrew
found near aquatic habitats, the largest member of genus Sorex
in North America. It is found along the Pacific coast from southern British Columbia
in Canada
to northern California
in the United States
.
The Marsh Shrew is dark brown in colour with dark underparts and a long tail. Its hind feet have coarse hairs on the toes. Its body is about 16 cm in length including a 7 cm long tail and it weighs about 13 g.It swims and takes short dives in search of food. Its diet includes earthworms, aquatic insects, slugs and snails.This animal is active during the day but is more active at night. The female has a litter of 3 or 4 young in a nest in a tunnel or under a log. Water shrews typically live about 18 months. The range and numbers of these animals are thought to have declined due to loss of suitable wetland habitat, especially near urban areas and farmlands.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n shrew
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
found near aquatic habitats, the largest member of genus Sorex
Sorex
The genus Sorex includes many of the common shrews of Eurasia and North America. Members of this genus, known as long-tailed shrews, are the only members of the tribe Soricini of the subfamily Soricinae...
in North America. It is found along the Pacific coast from southern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Marsh Shrew is dark brown in colour with dark underparts and a long tail. Its hind feet have coarse hairs on the toes. Its body is about 16 cm in length including a 7 cm long tail and it weighs about 13 g.It swims and takes short dives in search of food. Its diet includes earthworms, aquatic insects, slugs and snails.This animal is active during the day but is more active at night. The female has a litter of 3 or 4 young in a nest in a tunnel or under a log. Water shrews typically live about 18 months. The range and numbers of these animals are thought to have declined due to loss of suitable wetland habitat, especially near urban areas and farmlands.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies recognized for this species:- Sorex bendirii albiventer
- Sorex bendirii bendirii
- Sorex bendirii palmeri