Kansas Mammal Atlas

Distribution:
In Kansas short-tailed shrews are on the western edge of their range, and within the state confined to the eastern parts. Short-tailed shrews prefer the damp soils of oak-hickory and other deciduous forests, grasslands, and riparian communities, where they use trails and burrows made by other small mammals, but avoid standing water. In deciduous forest they most frequently are found near old logs and at the bases of rock outcrops, burrowing in leaf litter and humus of the forest floor, as well as using tunnels excavated by other small mammals in soft soils.River bottoms along the Missouri and Kansas rivers. Northern short-tailed shrews are found in nearly all terrestrial habitats. However, their populations are most dense in damp brushy woodlands, bushy bogs and marshes, and weedy and bushy borders of fields. These shrews are also common in cultivated fields, in flower and vegetable gardens, fence rows, and beside country roads. In the winter, they often retreat into barns, cellars and sheds. They need only sufficient vegetation to provide cover. They are slow to rehabit areas of forest burns. Northern short-tailed shrews construct elaborate runways under leaves, dirt, and snow and construct theirnests in tunnels or under logs and rocks. Short-tailed shrews are found in nearly all terrestrial habitats. However, their populations are most dense in damp brushy woodlands, bushy bogs and marshes, and weedy and bushy borders of fields. These shrews are also common in cultivated fields, in flower and vegetable gardens, fence rows, and beside country roads. In the winter, they often retreat into barns, cellars and sheds. They need only sufficient vegetation to provide cover. They are slow to rehabit areas of forest burns. Short-tailed shrews construct elaborate runways under leaves, dirt, and snow and construct their nests in tunnels or under logs and rocks.

(, Museum Voucher) (, Observation) (, Literature Record)
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• Occurrence Summary:  
• 46 Total Records 
• 44 Museum Vouchers 
• 2 Other Observations 

Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
Doniphan (13); Douglas (29); Jefferson (1); Shawnee (2);

Natural History:
Short-tailed shrews are active year round, both day and night (although they are more nocturnal than diurnal). These shrews are the most fossorial of American shrews and are effective in tunneling through leaves, plant debris, and snow with their strong paws and cartilaginous snouts. They construct elaborate runways and nests but have also been known to use the tunnels of mice and moles. Although most of their time is spent on or under the ground, short-tailed shrews are also effective climbers and have been observed climbing nearly 2 meters up a tree trunk to obtain suet from a bird feeder. Blarina brevicauda is not a sociable or gregarious mammal. In captivity,short-tailed shrews have been observed to live together peacefully if enough space is provided, but in the wild, the shrews are solitary and territorial. Territory size and stability are determined by prey density and tend to overlap slightly between members of opposite sexes during the breeding season. Shrews mark their territories with scent and will threaten and physically drive away any intruders. Blarina brevicauda utters a variety of sounds (chirps, buzzes, twitters) in its aggressive interactions with other individuals, and a clicking sound is used during courtship.
Northern short-tailed shrews can live as long as 3 years, but most probably die in their first year or before they reach adulthood.
Short-tailed shrews are voracious eaters and must feed frequently, commonly in the early and late afternoon. It is estimated that they consume and metabolize as much as three times their weight in food per day. The diet of Blarina brevicauda consists mainly of invertebrates, small vertebrates, and plant material. B. brevicauda stores food for winter, including snails and beetles, and in captivity puts nutmeats, sunflower seeds, and other edibles into storage. The submaxillary salivary glands of Blarina brevicauda produce a toxic material which is effective in subduing its prey. This enables it to prey upon animals much larger than itself, including salamanders, frogs, snakes, mice, birds, and other shrews.
Northern short-tailed shrews are aggressive and will threaten and physically drive away any intruders. They escape predation by remaining hidden in the cover of vegetation or under the soil or snow during foraging expeditions from their nest. They may also make themselves distasteful by exuding a musky odor from glands on their belly and sides. Many mammal predators, such as weasels and foxes, may refuse to eat northern short-tailed shrews because of their foul taste.

Short-tailed shrews are active year round, both day and night (although they are more nocturnal than diurnal). These shrews are the most fossorial of American shrews and are effective in tunneling through leaves, plant debris, and snow with their strong paws and cartilaginous snouts. They construct elaborate runways and nests but have also been known to use the tunnels of mice and moles. Although most of their time is spent on or under the ground, short-tailed shrews are also effective climbers and have been observed climbing nearly 2 meters up a tree trunk to obtain suet from a bird feeder. Blarina brevicauda is not a sociable or gregarious mammal. In captivity,short-tailed shrews have been observed to live together peacefully if enough space is provided, but in the wild, the shrews are solitary and territorial. Territory size and stability are determined by prey density and tend to overlap slightly between members of opposite sexes during the breeding season. Shrews mark their territories with scent and will threaten and physically drive away any intruders. Blarina brevicauda utters a variety of sounds (chirps, buzzes, twitters) in its aggressive interactions with other individuals, and a clicking sound is used during courtship.
Northern short-tailed shrews can live as long as 3 years, but most probably die in their first year or before they reach adulthood.
Short-tailed shrews are voracious eaters and must feed frequently, commonly in the early and late afternoon. It is estimated that they consume and metabolize as much as three times their weight in food per day. The diet of Blarina brevicauda consists mainly of invertebrates, small vertebrates, and plant material. B. brevicauda stores food for winter, including snails and beetles, and in captivity puts nutmeats, sunflower seeds, and other edibles into storage. The submaxillary salivary glands of Blarina brevicauda produce a toxic material which is effective in subduing its prey. This enables it to prey upon animals much larger than itself, including salamanders, frogs, snakes, mice, birds, and other shrews.
Northern short-tailed shrews are aggressive and will threaten and physically drive away any intruders. They escape predation by remaining hidden in the cover of vegetation or under the soil or snow during foraging expeditions from their nest. They may also make themselves distasteful by exuding a musky odor from glands on their belly and sides. Many mammal predators, such as weasels and foxes, may refuse to eat northern short-tailed shrews because of their foul taste.
As is true of other shrews, short-tailed shrews do not hibernate; they are active throughout the year. Short-tailed shrews are particularly active at night, resting only between hunts for food. In 24 hours they eat about half as much as they weigh. Their high metabolism (pulse rate 700 beats per minute) and continuing need for food at times force them to eat other small mammals; specialized teeth are complemented by salivary secretions of a poison that immobilizes mouse-sized prey in three to five minutes. The home range of this shrew varies from less than one to about four and a half acres.
Adults may attain the following dimensions: total length 92-121 mm; tail 19-25 mm; hind foot 13-18 mm; ear 13-15 mm; weight 13.5-15.5 grams.
Although short-tailed shrews do not hibernate in winter they store reserves of food. As the name of the order, Insectivora, implies, shrews feed on insects, but snails, millipedes, earthworms, grubs, a host of other invertebrates, small vertebrates, and some vegetable material (particularly seeds) are commonly eaten. Food is captured by searching in ground litter or by digging superficial burrows in the ground. This species is known to echolocate by means of high-pitched calls, much as do bats.
Owls and hawks feed on short-trailed shrews as do snakes. Regurgitated owl pellets containing undigested hair and bones provide evidence of shrews eaten by owls.Some carnivorous mammals (including the house cat) capture short-tailed shrews. Under normal conditions they seldom eat them, because skin glands (especially those of the flanks and anal region in both male and female shrews) secret odoriferous predator repellents.
Usually short-tailed shrews live alone and only in early spring and late summer do they come together for breeding. The gestation period is from 21 to 22 days at which time the four to ten (usually five or six) young (30 mm in length) are born hairless, pink, and wrinkled. Young are weaned at about three weeks of age and at two months females, at least, are sexually mature. It is possible that if a shrew is born in early spring it can breed by late summer or autumn of the same year. Males usually do not breed until the spring after their birth. The nests are constructed of leaves, grasses, and plant fibers, and commonly placed under logs, in burrows, or more rarely, on top of the ground.
Short-tailed shrews are active year round, both day and night (although they are more nocturnal than diurnal). These shrews are the most fossorial of American shrews and are effective in tunneling through leaves, plant debris, and snow with their strong paws and cartilaginous snouts. They construct elaborate runways and nests but have also been known to use the tunnels of mice and moles. Although most of their time is spent on or under the ground, short-tailed shrews are also effective climbers and have been observed climbing nearly 2 meters up a tree trunk to obtain suet from a bird feeder. Blarina brevicauda is not a sociable or gregarious mammal. In captivity,short-tailed shrews have been observed to live together peacefully if enough space is provided, but in the wild, the shrews are solitary and territorial. Territory size and stability are determined by prey density and tend to overlap slightly between members of opposite sexes during the breeding season. Shrews mark their territories with scent and will threaten and physically drive away any intruders. Blarina brevicauda utters a variety of sounds (chirps, buzzes, twitters) in its aggressive interactions with other individuals, and a clicking sound is used during courtship.
Northern short-tailed shrews can live as long as 3 years, but most probably die in their first year or before they reach adulthood.
Short-tailed shrews are voracious eaters and must feed frequently, commonly in the early and late afternoon. It is estimated that they consume and metabolize as much as three times their weight in food per day. The diet of Blarina brevicauda consists mainly of invertebrates, small vertebrates, and plant material. B. brevicauda stores food for winter, including snails and beetles, and in captivity puts nutmeats, sunflower seeds, and other edibles into storage. The submaxillary salivary glands of Blarina brevicauda produce a toxic material which is effective in subduing its prey. This enables it to prey upon animals much larger than itself, including salamanders, frogs, snakes, mice, birds, and other shrews.
Northern short-tailed shrews are aggressive and will threaten and physically drive away any intruders. They escape predation by remaining hidden in the cover of vegetation or under the soil or snow during foraging expeditions from their nest. They may also make themselves distasteful by exuding a musky odor from glands on their belly and sides. Many mammal predators, such as weasels and foxes, may refuse to eat northern short-tailed shrews because of their foul taste.
Elaborate mating nests, 150-250 mm long by 150-150 mm wide, are built out of shredded grass or leaves and placed in tunnels or under logs and rocks. The breeding season extends from early spring to early fall (March-September), although some scattered reproductive activity may occur throughout the entire year. Females may have up to 3 litters per year, although 2 is more usual. Gestation is 21-22 days and litter size is 3-10, although 5-7 pups is most common. The young leave the nest when 18-20 days old and are weaned several days later. Females reach sexual maturity at 6 weeks, while males mature at 12 weeks. The life span can be as long as 3 years, but it is usually much more brief. Females care for their young in the nest for 18 to 20 days. After weaning, at 25 days old, the young leave their mother's nest and all parental care ends.

Occurrence Activity:

Remarks:
If you catch a short-tailed shrew, especially in the breeding season, you will smell a peculiar odor. The odor may not only repel predators, but also may act as a chemical signal to attract or deter other short-tailed shrews.
This species was, until recently, regarded as a subspecies of the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda).Northern short-tailed shrews, especially males, exude a musky odor from scent glands on their belly and sides. They may use this to mark their territories with scent, though some researchers think this is unlikely because Northern short-tailed shrews have a poor sense of smell. This musky secretion may instead be used to deter predators because of its foul taste. Northern short-tailed shrews also have poor vision, perhaps only being able to detect light and dark. They use a form of echolocation, similar to what bats and whales use, to detect and distinguish among objects in the environment. They send out a series of ultrasonic (outside of the human hearing range) clicks and then listen for the returning echoes. By decoding these echoes they can perceive their environment without sight. Northern short-tailed shrews utter a variety of sounds (chirps, buzzes, twitters) in their aggressive interactions with other individuals, and a clicking sound is used during courtship.

Bibliography:

Account Last Updated:
7/13/2017 10:44:53 AM