Blarina hylophaga (Sorciomorpha: Soricidae)

Authors

Cody W. Thompson, Texas Tech UniversityFollow
Jerry R. Choate, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University
Hugh H. Genoways, University of Nebraska State MuseumFollow
Elmer J. Finck, Fort Hays State UniversityFollow

Date of this Version

5-2011

Comments

Published in MAMMALIAN SPECIES 43(878):94–103. Copyright 2011 American Society of Mammalogists. Used by permission.

Abstract

Blarina hylophaga (Elliot, 1899) is a soricid commonly called Elliot’s short-tailed shrew. A short-legged, robust shrew with a long, pointed snout and a short tail; it is 1 of 4 species in the genus Blarina. It occurs throughout most of the Great Plains of the United States, where it inhabits moist, well-drained grassland and riparian areas with deep leaf litter. It is listed as a species of greatest conservation need in Iowa and at possible risk in Texas, which might be due to the limited knowledge of the species throughout its geographic range.