The genus ''Sorex'' includes many of the common

shrews Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to different ...

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

, and contains at least 142 known species and subspecies. Members of this genus, known as long-tailed shrews, are the only members of the tribe Soricini of the subfamily ''Soricinae'' (

red-toothed shrews The red-toothed shrews of the subfamily Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies of shrews, along with Crocidurinae (white-toothed shrews) and Myosoricinae (African white-toothed shrews). In addition, the family contains the extinct subfami ...

). They have 32 teeth. These animals have long, pointed snouts, small ears, which are often not visible, and scent glands located on the sides of their bodies. As their eyesight is generally poor, they rely on hearing and smell to locate their prey, mainly insects. Some species also use echolocation. Distinguishing between species without examining the dental pattern is often difficult. In some species, a female shrew and her dependent young form "caravans", in which each shrew grasps the rear of the shrew in front, when changing location.

Species

* Genus ''Sorex'' – most basal of the genera ** Kashmir pygmy shrew (''S. planiceps'') –

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Tibetan shrew The Tibetan shrew (''Sorex thibetanus'') is a species of mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding ...

(''S. thibetanus'') – endemic to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

* Subgenus ''Otisorex'' – mostly

n shrews with a few species found on the

Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and w ...

and islands in the

Bering Sea The Bering Sea (, ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasses on Earth: Eurasia and The Am ...

. **

Chiapan shrew Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

(''S. chiapensis'') ** Cruz's long-tailed shrew (''S. cruzi'') **

Long-tailed shrew The long-tailed shrew or rock shrew (''Sorex dispar'') is a small shrew found in Atlantic Canada and the Northeastern United States. This shrew is slate grey in color with a pointed snout, a long tail, and lighter underparts. It is found on rock ...

(''S. dispar'') ***''Sorex dispar blitchi'' ***''Sorex dispar dispar'' ** Western pygmy shrew (''S. eximius'') ***''Sorex eximius eximius'' ***''Sorex eximius montanus'' **

Smoky shrew The smoky shrew (''Sorex fumeus'') is a medium-sized North American shrew found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States and extends further south along the Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appa ...

(''S. fumeus'') ***''Sorex fumeus fumeus'' ***''Sorex fumeus umbrosus'' ** Eastern pygmy shrew (''S. hoyi'') ***''Sorex hoyi alnorum'' ***''Sorex hoyi hoyi'' ***''Sorex hoyi thompsoni'' ***''Sorex hoyi winnemana'' ** Ibarra shrew (''S. ibarrai'') **

Large-toothed shrew The large-toothed shrew or Mexican large-toothed shrew (''Sorex macrodon'') is one of 77 species within the genus ''Sorex''. Registered on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable with a decreasing population, the Mexican large-toothed shrew has been reco ...

(''S. macrodon'') ** Sierra shrew (''S. madrensis'') ** McCarthy's shrew (''S. mccarthyi'') ** Carmen Mountain shrew (''S. milleri'') ** Mutable shrew (''S. mutabilis'') **

Dwarf shrew The dwarf shrew (''Sorex nanus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or ...

(''S. nanus'') **

Mexican long-tailed shrew The Mexican long-tailed shrew (''Sorex oreopolus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North A ...

(''S. oreopolus'') ** Orizaba long-tailed shrew (''S. orizabae'') ** Ornate shrew (''S. ornatus'') ***'' Sorex ornatus juncensis'' ***''S. o. lagunae'' ***''S. o. ornatus'' ***''S. o. relictus'' ***''S. o. salarius'' ***''S. o. salicornicus'' ***''S. o. sinuosus'' ***''S. o. willetti'' ** Inyo shrew (''S. tenellus'') ** Verapaz shrew (''S. veraepacis'') ** Ixtlan shrew (''Sorex ixtlanensis'') ** ''S. vagrans'' complex ***

Glacier Bay water shrew The Glacier Bay water shrew (''Sorex alaskanus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Alaska in the United States. It can swim underwater, and when it stops swimming, air trapped in its fur lets it float back up to t ...

(''S. alaskanus'') ***

Eastern water shrew Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air L ...

(''S. albibarbis'') ****''S. a. gloveralleni'' ****''S. a. labradorensis'' ****''S. a. punctulatus'' ****''S. a. turneri'' *** Baird's shrew (''S. bairdi'') ****''S. b. bairdi'' ****''S. b. permiliensis'' *** Marsh shrew (''S. bendirii'') ****''S. b. albiventer'' ****''S. b. bendirii'' ****''S. b. palmeri'' *** Montane shrew (''S. monticola'') ****''S. m. calvertensis'' ****''S. m. insularis'' ****''S. m. isolatus'' ****''S. m. longicaudus'' ****''S. m. malitiosus'' ****''S. m. parvidens'' ****''S. m. prevostensis'' ****''S. m. setosus'' *** New Mexico shrew (''S. neomexicanus'') *** Northern montane shrew (''S. obscurus'') ****''S. m. alascensis'' ****''S. m. elassodon'' ****''S. m. obscurus'' ****''S. m. shumaginensis'' ****''S. m. soperi'' *** Pacific shrew (''S. pacificus'') ****''S. p. pacificus'' ****''S. p. cascadensis'' *** Western water shrew (''S. navigator'') ****''S. n. brooksi'' ****''S. n. navigator'' ***

American water shrew The American water shrew (''Sorex palustris'') or northern water shrew, is a shrew found in the nearctic faunal region located throughout the mountain ranges of the northern United States and in Canada and Alaska. The organism resides in semi-aq ...

(''S. palustris'') ****''S. p. hydrobadistes'' ****''S. p. palustris'' *** Fog shrew (''S. sonomae'') ****''S. s. sonomae'' ****''S. s. tenelliodus'' *** Vagrant shrew (''S. vagrans'') ****''S. v. halicoetes'' ****''S. v. paludivagus'' ****''S. v. vagrans'' ** ''S. cinereus'' group ***

Kamchatka shrew The Kamchatka shrew (''Sorex camtschatica'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Russia. Classification The species was first described in 1972. Before that it was considered a subspecies of cinereus shrew (''Sore ...

(''S. camtschaticus'') *** Cinereous shrew (''S. cinereus'') ****''S. c. acadicus'' ****''S. c. cinereus'' ****''S. c. hollisteri'' ****''S. c. lesueurii'' ****''S. c. miscix'' ****''S. c. ohioensis'' ****''S. c. streatori'' ***

Maryland shrew Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean ...

(''S. fontinalis'') *** Prairie shrew (''S. haydeni'') *** Saint Lawrence Island shrew (''S. jacksoni'') ***

Paramushir shrew The Paramushir shrew (''Sorex leucogaster'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Russia. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is likely named for Paramushir Island, home to several other species of shrew in ...

(''S. leucogaster'') *** Southeastern shrew (''S. longirostris'') *** Mount Lyell shrew (''S. lyelli'') ***

Portenko's shrew Portenko's shrew (''Sorex portenkoi'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae that is endemic to Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the ...

(''S. portenkoi'') ***

Preble's shrew Preble's shrew (''Sorex preblei'') is a small shrew distributed across the Great Basin of the United States and southern British Columbia in Canada. It belongs to the order Eulipotyphla, family Soricidae and genus ''Sorex''. Description The Pr ...

(''S. preblei'') *** Pribilof Island shrew (''S. pribilofensis'') ***

Olympic shrew The Olympic shrew (''Sorex rohweri'') is a rare species of shrew that lives in only 13 spots in northwest Washington state and, a recent discovery, in Burns Bog, located in Delta, BC. Not much is known about this species. It was only described ...

(''S. rohweri'') *** Barren ground shrew (''S. ugyunak'') * Subgenus ''Sorex'' ** Dneper common shrew (''S. averini'') ** Lesser striped shrew (''S. bedfordiae'') ** Greater stripe-backed shrew (''S. cylindricauda'') **

Chinese highland shrew The Chinese highland shrew (''Sorex excelsus'') is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is found in China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries a ...

(''S. excelsus'') ** Azumi shrew (''S. hosonoi'') **

Chinese shrew The Chinese shrew or dusky shrew (''Sorex sinalis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to China, where it occurs in Gansu, Sichuan (including Jiuzhaigou), and Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) ...

(''S. sinalis'') ** Alaska tiny shrew (''S. yukonicus'') ** ''S. alpinus'' group *** Alpine shrew (''S. alpinus'') ***

Ussuri shrew The Ussuri shrew (''Sorex mirabilis''), also known as the giant shrew, is a species of shrew found in Northeast Asia. An adult Ussuri shrew has a total length including the tail of . It is found in valleys and on the forested slopes of mountains ...

(''S. mirabilis'') ** ''S. araneus'' group *** Valais shrew (''S. antinorii'') ***

Common shrew The common shrew (''Sorex araneus''), also known as the Eurasian shrew, is the most common shrew, and one of the most common mammals, throughout Northern Europe, including Great Britain, but excluding Ireland. It is long and weighs , and has v ...

(''S. araneus'') ***

Udine shrew The Udine shrew (''Sorex arunchi'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the Udine province of north-east Italy and in western Slovenia. References * Lapini L, Testone R (1998) A new Sorex from north-eastern Italy ...

(''S. arunchi'') *** Crowned shrew (''S. coronatus'') ***

Siberian large-toothed shrew The Siberian large-toothed shrew (''Sorex daphaenodon'') is a species of shrew. An adult Siberian large-toothed shrew has a weight of and a body length of , with a tail of . This species is found across Northeast Asia, from Mongolia through nort ...

(''S. daphaenodon'') ****''S. d. daphaenodon'' ****''S. d. sanguinidens'' ****''S. d. scaloni'' *** Iberian shrew (''S. granarius'') *** Caucasian shrew (''S. satunini'') ** ''S. arcticus'' group ***

Arctic shrew The Arctic shrew (''Sorex arcticus''), also known as the blackback shrew or saddlebacked shrew, is a medium-sized shrew found in Canada and the northern United States. Separate species status has been proposed for the maritime shrew (''Sorex ma ...

(''S. arcticus'') ****''S. a. arcticus'' ****''S. a. laricorum'' *** Maritime shrew (''S. maritimensis'') ** ''S. tundrensis'' ***

Tien Shan shrew The Tien Shan shrew (''Sorex asper'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in China and Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia an ...

(''S. asper'') ***

Gansu shrew The Gansu shrew (''Sorex cansulus'') is a red-toothed shrew found only in a small part of Gansu province and other adjacent areas of China. With its very limited range, it is sensitive to habitat loss and is listed as a "vulnerable species" in t ...

(''S. cansulus'') *** Tundra shrew (''S. tundrensis'') ** ''S. minutus'' group *** Buchara shrew (''S. buchariensis'') ***

Kozlov's shrew Kozlov's shrew (''Sorex kozlovi'') is a red-toothed shrew found only at the Mekong River, Tibet, China. It is listed as a data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservat ...

(''S. kozlovi'') *** Caucasian pygmy shrew (''S. volnuchini'') ****''S. v. dahli'' ****''S. v. volnuchini'' ** ''S. caecutiens'' group ***

Laxmann's shrew Laxmann's shrew (''Sorex caecutiens''), or the masked shrew, is a species of shrew. Its range extends from northern Scandinavia and the Baltic to the Sea of Japan, including Hokkaidō, Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula. It favours mountain fore ...

(''S. caecutiens'') *** Taiga shrew (''S. isodon'') ***

Eurasian least shrew The Eurasian least shrew (''Sorex minutissimus''), also called the lesser pygmy shrew, is the second-smallest mammal by mass after the Etruscan shrew. Appearance The Eurasian least shrew weighs only and has a body less than long, with a ta ...

(''S. minutissimus'') ***

Eurasian pygmy shrew The Eurasian pygmy shrew (''Sorex minutus''), often known simply as the pygmy shrew, is a widespread shrew of the northern Palearctic. Description It measures about in length, not including the tail, and has an average weight of .The hair on t ...

(''S. minutus'') *** Flat-skulled shrew (''S. roboratus'') *** Shinto shrew (''S. shinto'') ****''S. s. sadonis'' ****''S. s. shikokensis'' ****''S. s. shinto'' *** Long-clawed shrew (''S. unguiculatus'') ** ''S. gracillimus'' group ***

Slender shrew The slender shrew (''Sorex gracillimus'') is a species of shrew. An adult slender shrew has a weight of and a body length of , with a tail of ; this makes it one of the smaller shrews found in its range. It is distributed across northeastern Nort ...

(''S. gracillimus'') ** ''S. raddei'' *** Radde's shrew (''S. raddei'') ** ''S. samniticus'' *** Apennine shrew (''S. samniticus'') * Subgenus ''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

'' ** Alto shrew (''S. altoensis'') – Mexico ** Arizona shrew (''S. arizonae'') –

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

(

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

)

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

(

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places * Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mu ...

) **

Zacatecas shrew The Zacatecas shrew (''Sorex emarginatus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. ...

(''S. emarginatus'') – Mexico ** Jalisco shrew (''S. mediopua'') – Mexico ** Merriam's shrew (''S. merriami'') – Western United States (

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, Arizona, New Mexico,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

) ** Saussure's shrew (''S. saussurei'') – Mexico and

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...

***''S. s. godmani'' ***''S. s. saussurei'' ** Salvin's shrew (''S. salvini'') – Mexico and Guatemala ** Sclater's shrew (''S. sclateri'') – Mexico ** San Cristobal shrew (''S. stizodon'') – Mexico **

Trowbridge's shrew Trowbridge's shrew (''Sorex trowbridgii'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in southern British Columbia in Canada and in Washington, Oregon, and California in the United States. Taxonomy Trowbridge's shrew was f ...

(''S. trowbridgii'') –

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

Coast United States (Washington, Oregon, California)

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

(southern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

) ***''S. t. destructioni'' ***''S. t. humboldtensis'' ***''S. t. mariposae'' ***''S. t. montereyensis'' ***''S. t. trowbridgii'' ** Chestnut-bellied shrew (''S. ventralis'') – Mexico ** Veracruz shrew (''S. veraecrucis'') – Mexico ***''S. v. oaxacae'' ***''S. v. veraecrucis''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5607349 Mammal genera Red-toothed shrews Animals that use echolocation Mammals described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus