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Shrews of many kinds often live in size-ranked communities. Such a community might include large, medium, and small shrews such as the Short-tailed, Smoky, and Cinereus Shrews, which feed, respectively, on large, medium, and small invertebrates. The Smoky Shrew is the medium-sized shrew in its habitat and feeds on earthworms, centipedes, insects, insect larvae, and sowbugs. It is also known to kill salamanders by severing the spinal cord with its large, protruding incisors. Smoky Shrews weigh 6-11 g, and consume prey totaling about half their own weight each day. They are mostly nocturnal, and are active throughout the year, even in the coldest temperatures. As with other shrews, they echolocate, emitting a constant twittering sound as they forage.
Sexual Dimorphism:
None
Length:
Average:
117 mm
Range:
110-127 mm
Weight:
Range:
6-11 g
References:
Miller, G.S., Jr., 1895. The long-tailed shrews of the eastern United States, p. 50. North American Fauna, 10:35-36.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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