The red-toothed shrews of the subfamily Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies of
shrew
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 diffe ...
s, along with
Crocidurinae
The white-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae.
The outer layer of these shrews' teeth is white, unlike that of the red-toothed shrews. These species are typically found in Africa and southe ...
(white-toothed shrews) and
Myosoricinae
According to the current taxonomy, the Myosoricinae are a subfamily of shrews. As such, they form one of three main types of shrews, the other two being the red-toothed shrews and the white-toothed shrews. They are the only one of the three ...
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
and northern
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
. The enamel of the tips of their teeth is reddish due to
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
pigment. The iron deposits serve to harden the enamel and are concentrated in those parts of the teeth most subject to wear.
The list of species is:
* Tribe
Anourosoricini
Asian mole shrews (''Anourosorex'') are a genus of shrews that resemble moles, from China, Taiwan, India, and Indochina. They are the only known genus of the Anourosoricini tribe of red-toothed shrews. The four known species are:Anourosorex'' (Asian mole shrews)
*** Assam mole shrew, ''A. assamensis''
*** Giant mole shrew, ''A. schmidi''
*** Chinese mole shrew, ''A. squamipes''
*** Taiwanese mole shrew, ''A. yamashinai''
* Tribe Blarinellini
** Genus ''
Blarinella
''Blarinella'' is a small genus of shrews in the subfamily Soricinae
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 wh ...
'' (Asiatic short-tailed shrews)
***
Indochinese short-tailed shrew
The Indochinese short-tailed shrew (''Blarinella griselda'') is a species of mammal of the family Soricidae found in China and Vietnam. The species is a semifossorial red-toothed shrew with a stout body and short, slender tail. ''Blarinella'' ...
, ''B. griselda''
***
Asiatic short-tailed shrew
The Asiatic short-tailed shrew (''Blarinella quadraticauda'') is one of three species of shrew in the genus ''Blarinella''. It is in the family Soricidae and is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geo ...
, ''B. quadraticauda''
***
Burmese short-tailed shrew
The Burmese short-tailed shrew (''Blarinella wardi'') is one of three species of shrew in the genus ''Blarinella''. It is in the family Soricidae and is found in China and Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. ...
Northern short-tailed shrew
The northern short-tailed shrew (''Blarina brevicauda'') is the largest shrew in the genus '' Blarina'', and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. It is a semifossorial, highly active, and voracious insectivore and is present in a ...
Elliot's short-tailed shrew
Elliot's short-tailed shrew (''Blarina hylophaga'') is a small, slate grey, short-tailed species of shrew. Its common name comes from Daniel Giraud Elliot, who first described the species in 1899.
Description
Elliot's short-tailed shrew is simil ...
, ''B. hylophaga''
***
Everglades short-tailed shrew
The Everglades short-tailed shrew (''Blarina peninsulae'') is a species of shrew in the genus ''Blarina''. It is endemic to Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the wes ...
, ''B. peninsulae''
** Genus ''
Cryptotis
The genus ''Cryptotis'' is a group of relatively small shrews with short ears, which are usually not visible, and short tails, commonly called small-eared shrews. They have 30 teeth and are members of the red-toothed shrew subfamily. Since 1992 ...
'' (small-eared shrews)
*** ''Cryptotis mexicana'' group
****
Mexican small-eared shrew
The Mexican small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis mexicana'') 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 ...
Grizzled Mexican small-eared shrew
The grizzled Mexican small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis obscura'') is a small mammal in the order Eulipotyphla. It is native to the Sierra Madre Oriental of eastern Mexico. It can be found in dense, wet cloud forest, where it is found in the thick he ...
Goldman's broad-clawed shrew
Goldman's broad-clawed shrew (''Cryptotis goldmani'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in ...
, ''C. goldmani''
*****
Goodwin's broad-clawed shrew
Goodwin's broad-clawed shrew (''Cryptotis goodwini'') 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 ...
Darién small-eared shrew
The Darién small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis merus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known only from montane regions along the border between Colombia and Darién Province, Panama, where it has been found in rainforest
...
, ''C. mera''
****
Merriam's small-eared shrew
Merriam's small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis merriami'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), official ...
, ''C. merriami''
****
Blackish small-eared shrew
The blackish small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis nigrescens'') is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is found in parts of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in ...
Medellín small-eared shrew
The Medellín small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis medellinia'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the northern parts of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central at elevations f ...
, ''C. medellinia''
****
Merida small-eared shrew
The Merida small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis meridensis'') is a species of shrew that is endemic to Venezuela.
Description
''C. meridensis'' is one of the largest small-eared shrews, with a head-body length of and a tail long. Males and females a ...
, ''C. meridensis''
****
Wandering small-eared shrew
The wandering small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis montivaga'') is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur'') ...
Thomas's small-eared shrew
Thomas's small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis thomasi'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Per� ...
North American least shrew
The North American least shrew (''Cryptotis parvus'') is one of the smallest mammals, growing to be only up to 3 inches long. It has a long pointed snout and a tail never more than twice the length of its hind foot. The dense fur coat is e ...
, ''C. parva''
****
Tropical small-eared shrew
The tropical small-eared shrew (''Cryptotis tropicalis'') is a very small mammal of the family Soricidae. The species is found in the eastern highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, and parts of Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and C ...
Neomys
The genus ''Neomys'' is a group of three Eurasian water shrews from the subfamily Soricinae of the family Soricidae. These shrews are found in most of Europe and parts of northern Asia, as well as Turkey and Iran. Its member species are:
*Euras ...
Eurasian water shrew
The Eurasian water shrew (''Neomys fodiens''), known in the United Kingdom as the water shrew, is a relatively large shrew, up to long, with a tail up to three-quarters as long again. It has short, dark fur, often with a few white tufts, a white ...
Nesiotites
''Asoriculus'' is an extinct genus of terrestrial shrews in the subfamily Soricinae (red-toothed shrews) and tribe Nectogalini. The best known species, ''Asoriculus gibberodon'' was widespread in Europe from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleis ...
Sardinian shrew
''Asoriculus'' is an extinct genus of terrestrial shrews in the subfamily Soricinae (red-toothed shrews) and tribe Nectogalini. The best known species, ''Asoriculus gibberodon'' was widespread in Europe from the Late Miocene to the Early Plei ...
Himalayan shrew
The Himalayan shrew (''Soriculus nigrescens'') is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त� ...
, ''S. nigrescens''
* Tribe Notiosoricini
** Genus ''
Megasorex
The Mexican shrew (''Megasorex gigas'') is a species of mammal from the subfamily Soricinae in the family Soricidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Megasorex'' and is endemic to Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the Unite ...
Sorex
The genus ''Sorex'' includes many of the common shrews of Eurasia and North America, 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 ...
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 roc ...
, ''Sorex dispar''
****
Smoky shrew
The smoky shrew (''Sorex fumeus'') is a medium-sized 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 ea ...
, ''Sorex fumeus''
****
American pygmy shrew
The American pygmy shrew (''Sorex hoyi'') is a small shrew found in Northern Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States, south through the Appalachian Mountains. It was first discovered in 1831 by naturalist William Cane in Georgian Bay, ...
Carmen Mountain shrew
The Carmen Mountain shrew (''Sorex milleri'') 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 fee ...
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 Ame ...
Sorex ixtlanensis
The Ixtlan shrew (''Sorex ixtlanensis'') 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 ...
New Mexico shrew
The New Mexico shrew (''Sorex neomexicanus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only in New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, Larges ...
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 ...
, ''Sorex palustris''
***** Fog shrew, ''Sorex sonomae''
*****
Vagrant shrew
The vagrant shrew (''Sorex vagrans''), also known as the wandering shrew, is a medium-sized North American shrew. At one time, the montane shrew and the Orizaba long-tailed shrew were considered to belong to the same species.
Range and habitat
T ...
, ''Sorex vagrans''
**** ''Sorex cinereus'' group
*****
Kamchatka shrew
The Kamchatka shrew (''Sorex camtschatica'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning ...
, ''Sorex camtschatica''
*****
Cinereus shrew
The cinereus shrew or masked shrew (''Sorex cinereus'') is a small shrew found in Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States. This is the most widely distributed shrew in North America, where it is also known as the common shrew.
Descriptio ...
, ''Sorex cinereus''
*****
Prairie shrew
The prairie shrew (''Sorex haydeni'') is a small shrew found in the Canadian prairies and midwestern United States. At one time, this species was considered to be a subspecies of the similar cinereus shrew, ''S. cinereus''.
It is brown in c ...
, ''Sorex haydeni''
*****
Saint Lawrence Island shrew
The Saint Lawrence Island shrew (''Sorex jacksoni'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island
St. Lawrence Island ( ess, Sivuqaq, russian: Остров Святого Лаврентия, ...
Portenko's shrew
Portenko's shrew (''Sorex portenkoi'') 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 (nu ...
Pribilof Island shrew
The Pribilof Island shrew (''Sorex pribilofensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found only on Alaska's Pribilof Islands
The Pribilof Islands (formerly the Northern Fur Seal Islands; ale, Amiq, russian: Остр� ...
, ''Sorex 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 ...
, ''Sorex rohweri''
*****
Barren ground shrew
The barren ground shrew (''Sorex ugyunak'') is a small shrew found in northern Canada west of Hudson Bay and in Alaska. At one time, this species was considered to be a subspecies of the similar cinereus shrew (''S. cinereus''). It is similar ...
, ''Sorex ugyunak''
*** Subgenus ''Sorex''
****
Dneper common shrew
The Dneper common shrew (''Sorex averini'') 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 feedin ...
, ''Sorex averini''
****
Lesser striped shrew
The lesser striped shrew (''Sorex bedfordiae'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in China, Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating ...
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 most populous coun ...
, ''Sorex excelsus''
****
Azumi shrew
The Azumi shrew (''Sorex hosonoi'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Japan, where it is found in the mountainous regions of central Honshu Island. It is a close relative of the Eurasian least shrew (Sorex minutis ...
, ''Sorex 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, § ...
, ''Sorex sinalis''
****
Alaska tiny shrew
The Alaska tiny shrew (''Sorex yukonicus'') is a species of shrew. It is endemic to Alaska.
This species was formerly included under the description of the Eurasian least shrew (''S. minutissimus''). It was described as a separate species in 1997 ...
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 ...
, ''Sorex mirabilis''
**** ''Sorex araneus'' group
*****
Valais shrew
The Valais shrew (''Sorex antinorii'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae.
Taxonomy
Its karyotype has 2n = 24/25 and FN = 40. Until 2002, it was viewed as a chromosomal race of the wide-ranging and karyotypically polymorphic spec ...
Millet's shrew
The crowned shrew or Millet's shrew (''Sorex coronatus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the British island of Jer ...
, ''Sorex 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 n ...
, ''Sorex daphaenodon''
*****
Iberian shrew
The Iberian shrew or Lagranja shrew (''Sorex granarius'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Portugal and Spain.
Description
Relative to other ''Sorex'' species, ''S. granarius'' is intermediate in size, with a tot ...
, ''Sorex granarius''
*****
Caucasian shrew
The Caucasian shrew (''Sorex satunini'') 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 ...
, ''Sorex satunini''
**** ''Sorex 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 mari ...
, ''Sorex arcticus''
*****
Maritime shrew
The maritime shrew (''Sorex maritimensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend f ...
, ''Sorex maritimensis''
**** ''Sorex tundrensis'' group
*****
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 and ...
Buchara shrew
The Buchara shrew or Pamir shrew (''Sorex buchariensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range between Central Asia and Pakistan. It is located at a junct ...
, ''Sorex 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 Conservati ...
, ''Sorex kozlovi''
*****
Caucasian pygmy shrew
The Caucasian pygmy shrew or Ukrainian shrew (''Sorex volnuchini'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, East Azerbaijan Province in Iran, and Turkey
Turkey ( tr, ...
, ''Sorex volnuchini''
**** ''Sorex 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 fores ...
Flat-skulled shrew
The flat-skulled shrew (''Sorex roboratus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Mongolia, China and Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental ...
Radde's shrew
Radde's shrew (''Sorex raddei'') 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 (nursing) ...
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 ...
''
****
Arizona shrew
The Arizona shrew (''Sorex arizonae'') is a species of shrew native to North America.
Description
The Arizona shrew is one of the smaller species of shrew, with a head and body in length, and a tail about long. When fully grown, they weigh an ...
, ''Sorex arizonae''
****
Zacatecas shrew
The Zacatecas shrew (''Sorex emarginatus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico. It inhabits the southeastern Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the No ...
, ''Sorex emarginatus''
****
Merriam's shrew
Merriam's shrew (''Sorex merriami'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to the western United States and extreme southern British Columbia in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces a ...
, ''Sorex merriami''
****
Kashmir pygmy shrew
The Kashmir pygmy shrew (''Sorex planiceps'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by ar ...
Sorex mediopua
The Jalisco shrew (''Sorex mediopua'') 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 ( ...
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 first ...