Sorex

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Sorex[1]
Fossil range: Late Miocene to Recent
Cinereus Shrew (Sorex cinereus)
Cinereus Shrew (Sorex cinereus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Soricomorpha
Family: Soricidae
Subfamily: Soricinae
Tribe: Soricini
G. Fischer
Genus: Sorex
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

See text.

The genus Sorex is a group of mainly land-dwelling shrews with relatively long tails which includes many of the common shrews of Europe and North America. They are red-toothed shrews; species in this group have 32 teeth. This genus is the only member of the tribe Soricini.

These animals have long pointed snouts, small ears which are often not visible and scent glands located on the side of the body. As their eyesight is generally poor, they rely on hearing and smell to locate their prey, mainly insects. Some species also use echolocation. It is often difficult to distinguish between species without examining the dental pattern.

In some species, a female shrew and her dependent young form "caravans" where each shrew grasps the rear of the shrew in front when changing location.

[edit] Species

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hutterer, Rainer (2005-11-16). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 282-300. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 

[edit] See also

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