Summary ⁶

The North American least shrew (Cryptotis parva) is one of the smallest mammals, growing to be only up to 3 inches long. The North American least shrew has a long pointed snout and a tail never more than twice the length of its hind foot. It has a dense fur coat that is either grayish-brown or reddish-brown with a white belly. Its fur becomes lighter in the summer and darker in the winter. Although similar in appearance...

Description ⁷

Least Shrews have a repertoire of tiny calls, audible to human ears up to a distance of only 20 inches or so. Nests are of leaves or grasses in some hidden place, such as on the ground under a cabbage palm leaf or in brush. Weighing in at only a few grams, this shrew is remarkably adaptable, as its extensive north to south distribution attests. From southern New England to northern Panama, the Least Shrew inhabits grassy fields, marshes, and woodland habitats.

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
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Sources and Credits

1. (c) John B., some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/33472394@N00/5849555916
2. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/ADW_mammals/specimens/Soricomorpha/Soricidae/Cryptotis_p_berlandieri/lateral6426/medium.jpg
3. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/ADW_mammals/specimens/Soricomorpha/Soricidae/Cryptotis_p_berlandieri/lower_dorsal6429/medium.jpg
4. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/ADW_mammals/specimens/Soricomorpha/Soricidae/Cryptotis_p_berlandieri/lower_lateral6430/medium.jpg
5. (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/ADW_mammals/specimens/Soricomorpha/Soricidae/Cryptotis_p_berlandieri/ltr6429/medium.jpg
6. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptotis_parva
7. (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/6624663

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• ASM Mammal Diversity Database
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• iNaturalist Mammal Working Group
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet

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