horama diffissa is a moth in the family erebidae .

it is found in the countries of cuba and haiti .

the wingspan is about 33 mm for males and 38 – 44 mm for females .

the forewings are tawny , with an ochreous-yellow spot at the humeral angle .

the hindwings are ochreous yellow with a tawny band across the apex and termen .

horama diffissa

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horama diffissa ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 421 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 17 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
fig . 221 . —horama grotei , ( s . \ . blackish ; tibiae and tarsi yellow , with a blackish band at end of hind tibiae ; abdomen with the 1st segment bluish fuscous in front , yellow behind , and followed by some bluish fuscous ; the first two segments bluish fuscous below , fringed with yellow . hind wing tinged with fuscous , the costa narrowly yellow . hah . jamaica ( g ^ osse ) , 2 d , type . exp . 44 millim . sect . v . hind tarsi naked . a . hiud wing fuitous with the termen brown diffissa . b . hind wing brown suffused with fuseous prctus . * 935 . horama diffissa . horama diffissa , grote , proc . eut . soc . philad . vi . pp . 181 , 310 , pi . 5 . f . 2 ( 1886 ) ; kh - by , cat . het . p . 131 . horama pretellus , herr . - schiiff . con - esp . - blatt eegensb . xx . p . 113 ( 1886 ) . palpi yellow , 2nd joint witli some white scales ; antenntu yellow , with some black at middle and tips ; vertex of head purplish brown ,
= horama panthalon texana ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 10
horama panthalon panthalon ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 8 , 4 ( list )
horama tarsalis walker , 1856 ; list spec . lepid . insects colln br . mus . 7 : 1633 ; tl : ?
= horama panthalon panthalon ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 8 , 4 ( list )
horama margarita mccabe , 1992 ; proc . ent . soc . wash . 94 ( 2 ) : 244 ; tl : turquino , cuba
horama grotei butler , 1876 ; j . linn . soc . lond . zool . 12 ( 60 - 62 ) : 374 ; tl : jamaica
horama panthalon viridifusa ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 12 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
= horama panthalon viridifusa ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 12 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
horama panthalion [ sic , recte panthalon ] texana ; turrent & pescador , 2013 , rev . soc . mex . lep . ( ns ) 1 ( 1 ) : 10
horama zapata dietz & duckworth , 1976 ; smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 18 , 4 ( list ) ; tl : san blas , cienaga de zapata , cuba
horama rawlinsi mccabe , 1992 ; proc . ent . soc . wash . 94 ( 2 ) : 245 ; tl : dominican republic , pedernales , 26km n cabo rojo , 18 - 06n , 71 - 38w , 730m
horama pennipes ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 419 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 15 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
horama grotei ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 421 , f . 221 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 6 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
horama tarsalis ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 420 , f . 220 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 14 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
fig . 220 . —horama tarsalis , ( ^ . } . with orange point at base of costa . hind wing with fringe of white hair on inner margin . itab . ignotus , 1 d type in bad condition . ex2 ) . 40 millim . sect . iv . hind tarsi fringe : ! with scales above . 934 . horama grotei . horama grofei , butl . journ . linu . soc , zool . xii . p . 374 ( 1876 ) ; kirby , cat . het . p . 131 . s . red - brown ; head yellow , with the extremity of palpi , a band between antenna3 and the dilated part of antenna3 blackish ; tegulte blackish in front , yellow behind : patagia with a yellow stripe ; pectus blackish , with lateral white patches ; coxte yellow ; femora
horama pretus ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 422 , f . 222 ; [ nhm card ] ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 4 ; becker & miller , 2002 , j . lep . soc . 56 ( 1 ) : 36 , f . 121
horama panthalon ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 417 , pl . 15 , f . 9 ; [ nacl ] , # 8287 ; [ nhm card ] ; becker & miller , 2002 , j . lep . soc . 56 ( 1 ) : 36 , f . 120 ; schmidt & opler , 2008 , zootaxa 1677 : 21
horama oedippus ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 418 ; fleming , 1959 , zoologica n . y . 44 ( 3 ) : 94 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 19 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ] ; turrent & pescador , 2013 , rev . soc . mex . lep . ( ns ) 1 ( 1 ) : 10
horama plumipes ; [ nacl ] , # 8288 ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 419 , f . 218 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 16 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ] ; hernández - baz & grados , 2004 , folia ent . mex . 43 ( 2 ) : 211 ; schmidt & opler , 2008 , zootaxa 1677 : 21 ; turrent & pescador , 2013 , rev . soc . mex . lep . ( ns ) 1 ( 1 ) : 10
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= ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 417 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 4 ; [ nhm card ] ; schmidt & opler , 2008 , zootaxa 1677 : 21
= ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 417 ; [ nhm card ] ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 4 ; schmidt & opler , 2008 , zootaxa 1677 : 21
= ; [ nhm card ] ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 417 ; [ nhm card ] ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 4 ; schmidt & opler , 2008 , zootaxa 1677 : 21
= ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 421 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 17 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
baja california , mexico , guatemala , british honduras , costa rica , trinidad . see [ maps ]
mastigocera oedippus boisduval , 1870 ; considérations lépid . guatemala : 81 ; tl : guatemala
zygaena panthalon fabricius , 1793 ; ent . syst . 3 ( 1 ) : 405
likely a müllerian mimic of polistes crinitus ( felton ) becker & miller , 2002 , j . lep . soc . 56 ( 1 ) : 36
callicarus texanus grote , 1867 ; proc . ent . soc . philad . 6 : 184 ; tl : texas
= ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 15 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
s . texas , mexico , honduras , guatemala , nicaragua , panama . see [ maps ]
= ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 419 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 16 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nacl ] , # 8288 ; [ nhm card ] ; schmidt & opler , 2008 , zootaxa 1677 : 21
= ; hampson , 1898 , cat . lep . phalaenae br . mus . 1 : 422 ; dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 5 , 4 ( list ) ; [ nhm card ]
larva on elaeodendron xylocarpum dietz & duckworth , 1976 , smiths . contrib . zool . 215 : 6
presumable a müllerian mimic of polister major palisot de beavoisbecker & miller , 2002 , j . lep . soc . 56 ( 1 ) : 36
[ maps ] warning ! the maps are automatically generated from the textual information , and the process does not always produce acceptable result ; see about maps for more info .
species insectorum exhibentes eorum differentia specifica , synonyma auctorum , loca natalia , metamorphosin adiectis , observationibus , descriptionibus . tom ii
the ctenuchidae ( moths ) of trinidad , b . w . i . , part ii : ctenuchinae
biologia centrali - americana ; or contributions to the knowledge of the fauna of mexico and central america . zoology . lepidoptera . heterocera
walker , 1854 ; walker , 1856 list of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the british museum list spec . lepid . insects colln br . mus . 1 : 1 - 278 ( 1854 ) , 2 : 279 - 581 ( 1854 ) , 3 : 583 - 775 ( 1855 ) , 4 : 777 - 976 ( 1855 ) , 5 : 977 - 1258 ( 1855 ) , 6 : 1259 - 1508 ( 1855 ) , 7 : 1509 - 1808 ( 1856 )
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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authors : british museum ( natural history ) . dept . of zoology ; hampson , george francis , sir , 1860 - 1936
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epiphthora hyperaenicta is a moth of the gelechiidae family .

it was described by turner in 1927 .

it is found in australia , where it has been recorded from tasmania .

the wingspan is about 12 mm .

the forewings are pale-grey with fine fuscous irroration .

the hindwings are grey .

epiphthora hyperaenicta

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epiphthora hyperaenicta turner , 1927 ; pap . proc . r . soc . tasm . 1926 : 137
epiphthora acrocola turner , 1927 ; pap . proc . r . soc . tasm . 1926 : 136
epiphthora delochorda lower , 1918 ; trans . r . soc . s . aust . 42 : 237 ; tl : pinnaroo , south ausralia
epiphthora poliopasta turner , 1919 ; proc . r . soc . qd 31 ( 10 ) : 110 ; tl : queensland , maroochydore near caloundra
epiphthora acropasta turner , 1919 ; proc . r . soc . qd 31 ( 10 ) : 110 ; tl : queensland , stradbroke i .
epiphthora leptoconia turner , 1919 ; proc . r . soc . qd 31 ( 10 ) : 110 ; tl : new south wales , mt kosciusko
epiphthora microtima meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 267 ; tl : brisbane , queensland
epiphthora cryolopha meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 265 ; tl : cooktown , queensland
epiphthora thyellias meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 262 ; tl : melbourne , victoria
epiphthora niphaula meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 263 ; tl : launceston , tasmania
epiphthora autoleuca meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 264 ; tl : gisborne , victoria
epiphthora megalornis meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 261 ; tl : perth , west australia
epiphthora belonodes meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 261 ; tl : geraldton , west australia
epiphthora coniombra meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 267 ; tl : bathurst , new south wales
epiphthora drosias meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 262 ; tl : port lincoln , south ausralia
epiphthora isonira meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 264 ; tl : blackheath , new south wales
epiphthora achnias meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 266 ; tl : picton , new south wales
epiphthora phantasta meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 255 ; tl : sydney , new south wales
epiphthora lemurella meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 262 ; tl : blackheath , new south wales
epiphthora psychrodes meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 263 ; tl : sydney , new south wales
epiphthora harpastis meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 267 ; tl : perth and albany , west australia
epiphthora leucomichla meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 265 ; tl : sydney , new south wales ; deloraine , tasmania
epiphthora spectrella meyrick , 1904 ; proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . 29 ( 2 ) : 266 ; tl : lilydale , victoria ; deloraine , tasmania ; adelaide , south australia
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lower , o . b . 1901 ,
descriptons of new genera and species of australian lepidoptera
, transactions of the royal society of south australia , vol . 25 , pp . 63 - 98
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 9dd47dbc - 4277 - 4283 - b874 - af6a4ed235bf
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 84b3aae7 - b6ac - 4ca7 - a594 - e04835808675
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 259798
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= apatetris ; sattler , 1973 , bull . br . mus . nat . hist . ( ent . ) 28 ( 4 ) : 198 ; [ nhm card ]
apatetris zalias meyrick , 1922 ; exotic microlep . 2 ( 16 ) : 500 ; tl : south australia , adelaide
stenopherna chionocephala lower , 1901 ; trans . r . soc . s . aust . 25 ( 2 ) : 79 ; tl : broken hill , new south wales
apatetris dinota turner , 1933 ; trans . proc . r . soc . s . austr . 57 : 173 ; tl : queensland , national park
apatetris hexagramma meyrick , 1921 ; exotic microlep . 2 ( 14 ) : 424 ; tl : queensland , brisbane
apatetris anisaula meyrick , 1921 ; exotic microlep . 2 ( 14 ) : 424 ; tl : north australia , port darwin
sangmi lee , richard brown & sibyl bucheli . gelechioidea - a global framework ;
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turner , 1933 new australian lepidoptera trans . proc . r . soc . s . austr . 57 : 159 - 182
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the marsh shrew ( sorex bendirii ) , also known as the pacific water shrew , bendire 's water shrew , bendire 's shrew and jesus shrew is the largest north american member of the genus sorex ( long-tailed shrews ) .

primarily covered in dark-brown fur , it is found near aquatic habitats along the pacific coast from southern british columbia to northern california .

with air trapped in its fur for buoyancy , marsh shrews can run for three to five seconds on top of the water .

it measures about 16 cm ( 6.3 in ) in length , including a 7-centimetre ( 2.8 in ) - long tail , and weighs an average of 14.5 – 16 g ( 0.51 – 0.56 oz ) .

the marsh shrew 's diet consists mainly of invertebrates , which it hunts on land and in the water .

they are rare ; their populations are thought to be in decline , and they are considered endangered in parts of their range .

marsh shrew

“the fate of marsh wrens and least bitterns remain in doubt at dyke marsh , but the trend suggests eventual disappearance for at least the marsh wren , ” cartwright contends .
it is the marsh wren ( cistothorus palustris ) , once a common bird in the dyke marsh wildlife preserve . the dyke marsh wildlife preserve today supports the only known nesting population of marsh wrens in the upper potomac river tidal zone .
the dyke marsh wildlife preserve was once popping with marsh wrens . in the late 1800s , observers reported of hundreds of globular marsh wren nests affixed to reeds in the wetlands that lined the potomac river , wetlands now largely gone .
credit : 2013 paul m . marsh under cc 3 . 0 ; washington : shutterstock
page for a report on birds that breed in dyke marsh . these studies help to monitor the overall health of the marsh by documenting trends in bird populations such as in
the marsh has many dead trees , presumably killed by the invasive emerald ash borer .
pelchen - matthews , a . , b . kramer , and m . marsh .
large for a shrew and with velvety dark fur , the marsh shrew can be found in marsh , stream , and beach habitats of the coastal rain forest in extreme southwestern canada and the pacific northwest of the united states . this shrew is distinguished from the equally - large water shrew by the absence of a fringe of stiff hairs on its hind toes . the marsh shrew has been observed running on the surface of the water for three seconds or so before diving , on its hunt for aquatic insect larvae . with the highest energy , it also consumes earthworms , slugs , snails , termites , spiders , and sowbugs . after a bout of feeding , it will sleep , sometimes for half an hour .
dead trees and fewer trees in the marsh would further destabilize dyke marsh , nps officials maintain . dyke marsh is already eroding 1 . 5 to two acres a year and will be gone in 20 years without action , concluded the u . s . geological survey in a 2010 study . dredging of the marsh from 1940 to 1972 destabilized the marsh . usgs concluded that dyke marsh
has shifted from a semi - stable net depositional environment ( 1864 - 1937 ) into a strongly erosional one . . . the marsh has been deconstructed over the past 70 years by a combination of manmade and natural causes .
friends of dyke marsh , inc . is a non - profit 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization . © 2018 friends of dyke marsh , inc . all rights reserved .
this shrew has been captured in submerged minnow traps set in small streams ( nagorsen 1996 ) .
the tail of the shrew is bicolored , gradually ranging from brown above to more gray underneath .
2008 . molecular phylogeny of a newfound hantavirus in the japanese shrew mole ( urotrichus talpoides ) .
observers have so far identified 24 species of dragonflies and damselflies in the dyke marsh wildlife preserve .
male eastern amberwing ( perithemis tenera ) perched on marsh vegetation . photo by christopher s . hobson
large for a shrew and with velvety dark fur , the marsh shrew can be found in marsh , stream , and beach habitats of the coastal rain forest in extreme southwestern canada and the pacific northwest of the united states . this shrew is distinguished from the equally - large water shrew by the absence of a fringe of stiff hairs on its hind toes . the marsh shrew has been observed running on the surface of the water for three seconds or so before diving , on its hunt for aquatic insect larvae . with the highest energy , it also consumes earthworms , slugs , snails , termites , spiders , and sowbugs . after a bout of feeding , it will sleep , sometimes for half an hour . links : mammal species of the world click here for the american society of mammalogists species account
the breeding period of the ornate shrew starts in late february and ends in late september or october .
hamilton , w . 1944 . the biology of the little short - tailed shrew , cryptotis parva .
from 1940 to 1972 , smoot sand and gravel dredged and hauled away almost half of the marsh , destabilizing the entire system . see
the accelerating erosion of dyke marsh
and our restoration page .
dr . barrows wrote in the spring 2008 marsh wren , the newsletter of the friends of dyke marsh , that there are thousands of “key players” in the wetland’s ecosystem , yet to be studied and recorded .
in wisconsin , the water shrew is mostly confined to the northern part of the state ( 2 ) .
the water shrew is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
dr . edd barrows leads students in study along haul road in dyke marsh . photo by robert smith .
2009 . host switch during evolution of a genetically distinct hantavirus in the american shrew mole ( neurotrichus gibbsii ) .
synonyms may resemble each other if the revisions occur within a genus ( eg . narrow - leaved marsh orchid :
see george ( 1988 ) for electrophoretic study of systematic relationships among sorex species . also called the pacific water shrew .
the genus name sorex is derived from the latin word ‘soric’ , which means ‘shrew mouse’ , while this species’ specific name palustris means ‘dwelling in marshes’ . up to ten different subspecies of the water shrew have been recognised ( 7 ) .
the marsh shrew is found along the pacific coast from british columbia south to sonoma co . in california . usually found in marshy areas ( fresh emergent wetland habitat ) , but also found in valley foothill riparian habitat , and during winter rains may frequent moist forests as far as 1000 m ( 3300 ft ) from running or standing water ( pattie 1973 ) . abundance of the marsh shrew is unknown in prime habitat ; it is uncommon to rare in winter in moist forest habitats .
shrews of similar size have a gestation period around 21 days , but no definitive information on the ornate shrew is available .
pattie , d . 1969 . behavior of captive marsh shrews ( sorex bendirii ) . murrelet 50 : 28 - 32 .
credit : 2013 paul m . marsh under cc 3 . 0 ; reagan : michael evans / the white house / getty
author : stopthepave license : attribution 2 . 0 generic ( cc by 2 . 0 ) urltoken license : attribution 3 . 0 unported ( cc by 3 . 0 ) urltoken description : probable sighting of a marsh shrew ( sorex bendirii ) , also known as a pacific water shrew , on the south fraser witness trail , british columbia , canada . there are government documented sightings in the area . this shrew species is sometimes called the
jesus shrew
because of the way it walks across the water . link : urltoken title : marsh shrew ( sorex bendirii ) walking on water . webm details of the licenses can be found on this channel ' s
about
page . in this video , no changes or modifications have been made to the original material . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
birds are perhaps the most visible and accessible animal species of the marsh . bird - watching , or birding has made the dyke marsh wildlife preserve a popular attraction for many visitors . there are resident species in every habitat from emergent wetlands to upland forests as well as migratory species that visit the marsh each spring and fall . fodm has conducted several studies and surveys on birds and bird life and has documented over 270 species in dyke marsh . for a complete list including seasonal occurrence , see our
comments : see george ( 1988 ) for electrophoretic study of systematic relationships among sorex species . also called the pacific water shrew .
crocidura roosevelti heller , 1910 ( roosevelt ' s shrew ) from africa ; named after theodore roosevelt . also named after teddy :
hafner , d . , c . shuster . 1996 . historical biogeography of western peripheral isolates of the least shrew , cryptotis parva .
, commonly called the masked shrew or common shrew , is the most widely distributed shrew found in north american . common shrews occur throughout the northern united states , most of canada , and alaska . they do not occur on vancouver island , the queen charlotte islands , in tundra habitats , arctic islands , or in extreme northern quebec . ( nagorsen , 1996 ; van zyll de jong , 1983 ) .
ingles , l . g . 1961 . home range and habitats of the wandering shrew . journal of mammalogy 42 : 455 - 462 .
comments : this shrew occurs in many protected areas , including u . s . national and state parks and several provincial and regional parks in british columbia . in many areas , the wet habitat of this shrew is somewhat protected by being generally unsuitable for various kinds of development .
. there is a stretch of territory through baja where the shrew is not found , then it is found again near the southern tip .
rarely found far from water , the water shrew is extremely well adapted to its aquatic lifestyle ( 7 ) . although the eyes of the water shrew are small and vision is poor , it has acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell . in addition , the hairs on the feet trap air , allowing the water shrew to run across the surface of water ( 2 ) ( 5 ) ( 8 ) .
the water shrew forages using its sensitive nose , which has specialised hairs or whiskers , called ‘vibrissae’ . during times when prey is abundant , the water shrew may cache food in hollow logs or crevices , returning when food is scarce ( 2 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) .
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under the sponsorship of the friends of dyke marsh , ecologist and author david w . johnston , ph . d . , ( 1926 - 2015 ) consolidated and summarized many studies and reports addressing dyke marsh and published a paper in the virginia journal of science ( volume 51 , number 4 , winter 2000 ) . this compilation is an invaluable historical record and source of data about dyke marsh’s ecology , flora and fauna and human interaction .
mostly active during the day , the water shrew consumes a large amount of food given its small size ( 1 ) ( 8 ) . due to its high energetic demands , the water shrew can only survive for about three hours without food ( 5 ) . aquatic insects form the bulk of the water shrew’s diet ( 1 ) ( 5 ) ( 10 ) . slugs , snails , earthworms , small fish , amphibians and spiders may also be taken ( 2 ) ( 7 ) , and the water shrew may occasionally feed on terrestrial invertebrates such as grasshoppers and crickets ( 2 ) ( 5 ) ( 10 ) .
2009 . bayou virus detected in non - oryzomyine rodent hosts : an assessment of habitat composition , reservoir community structure , and marsh rice rat social dynamics .
the ornate shrew is found along portions of the west coast of north america and a few near shore islands . the northern extent is around 39 degrees latitude in
the water shrew ( sorex palustrus ) is the world’s smallest warm - blooded diving species ( 3 ) . it is a relatively large shrew , with a slender body , a long tail ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) , and a long , pointed , highly moveable snout , which has conspicuous vibrissae ( specialised whiskers ) . the snout is almost incessantly rotated ( 3 ) ( 6 ) . the feet of the water shrew have a fringe of stiff hairs , called fibrillae , which increase the surface area to help propel the water shrew as it swims ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 7 ) ( 8 ) .
, e . - m . you , and y . k . lin . 2009 . social and genetic mating system of the asian lesser white - toothed shrew ,
sylvilagus palustris hefneri lazell , 1984 ( lower keys marsh rabbit ) an endangered rabbit named after playboy founder hugh hefner . lazell received financial help from the playboy corporation .
today , dyke marsh is one of the largest remaining , freshwater , tidal wetlands in the washington metropolitan area , but the wetlands have diminished to under 50 acres .
■ the most common native frogs here are the green frog , bullfrog , spring peeper and southern leopard frog . dyke marsh is the southern leopard frog’s northernmost habitat .
formanowicz , d . , p . bradley , e . brodie . 1989 . food hoarding by the least shrew ( cryptotis parva ) : intersexual and prey type effects .
the water shrew occurs in the cool , boreal , montane regions of north america , canada and alaska ( 1 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) ( 9 ) .
fodm has produced four seasonal brochures to show you what is possible to see in dyke marsh at each time of the year . click the links to display each one .
kivett , v . , o . mock . 1980 . reproductive behavior in the least shrew ( cryptotis parva ) with special reference to the aural glandular region of the female .
laura sebastianelli led the first known citizen monitoring program in dyke marsh west from march to august after launching our own frogwatch usa chapter early in 2015 . she heard and documented six species .
the songs of spring peepers , american toads and especially green tree frogs were pleasant surprises ,
she wrote in our fall newsletter , the marsh wren .
dyke marsh supports a diversity of animals , including gray squirrels , cottontail rabbits , shrews , field mice , river otters , red fox , little brown bats and whitetail deer . evidence of beaver activity is often visible along the haul road and boardwalk . beavers and muskrats can be seen swimming in the marsh in the early evening . fish include carp , bullhead , chain pickerel , shad , striped bass and shiners . reptiles such as snapping turtles and northern water snakes and amphibians such as frogs are also common . the table at right lists all the mammals observed in dyke marsh over more than 30 years as documented in the fodm sponsored study the dyke marsh preserve ecosystem by david w . johnston .
predators are likely to be owls , feral cats , pacific giant salamanders , and large fish . whitaker et al . ( 1980 ) found marsh shrews are externally parasitized by mites .
dyke marsh is one of the largest , most significant temperate , climax , narrow - leafed cattail marshes in the national park system , a unit of the george washington memorial parkway managed by the national park service . it has tidal wetland , swamp forest , upland forest and open water . the southern part of the marsh is at least 2 , 200 years old .
the water shrew occurs along small , usually fast - flowing , cold - water streams with thick , overhanging riparian growth ( 1 ) ( 6 ) . it is also found around lake , ponds , bogs and marshes ( 1 ) ( 4 ) ( 6 ) . logs , rocks and crevices are all common features of water shrew habitat ( 6 ) ( 7 ) .
many of us have wondered ,
is the marsh growing or shrinking ? is it being rebuilt by the river , or are we losing it to erosion ?
to provide some answers to these questions , research in the gain and loss of sediments in the marsh has been undertaken by cindy palinkas and david walters of the horn point laboratory of the university of maryland center for environmental science in cambridge , md , in cooperation with the national park service , building on earlier work by katia engelhardt . they reported their work in a poster paper at a recent conference of the american geophysical union . the goal of their study is more modest than predicting the ultimate fate of the marsh :
to better understand the spatial and temporal variability in sedimentary processes in a freshwater tidal marsh .
there are competing effects at work in setting the level of the marsh relative to the river . the potomac always carries a burden of sediment , which is greatly enhanced following heavy rain upstream . two daily incoming tides flood parts of the marsh , and some of the river - borne sediment is left behind in those areas .
in the 18th and early 19th century , the marsh was called
hell hole swamp .
in the early 1800s , people built earthen walls around the perimeter of part of the marsh to create more
fast land ,
land not inundated by high tides . the
dyked
area was then used to graze livestock and to grow crops . the walls failed .
buckner , c . h . 1969 . some aspects of the population ecology of the common shrew , sorex araneus , near oxford , england . journal of mammalogy 50 : 326 - 332 .
the extent to which common shrew populations affect humans is unknown . however , they have a significant impact on populations of insect pests and are important members of communities ( nagorsen , 1996 ) .
there are no known specific conservation measures currently targeted at the water shrew , although the presence of this species in numerous state and national parks means that many populations receive adequate protection ( 1 ) .
deborah told the group that frogs and toads need still water like ephemeral pools upland to lay eggs and hatch tadpoles . bats need woodland trees upland of wetlands for nesting and marsh areas for hunting for food . she is concerned that development proposed for westgrove park to the west of dyke marsh could destroy or degrade the little nearby suitable habitat that remains . “it’s all interconnected , ” she commented .
as dyke marsh erodes away , a major factor in the marsh wren’s decline is loss of habitat . spencer offered this guidance in 2000 : “available habitat comprises only 12 percent of the entire preserve , but actual use by marsh wrens for nesting territories was only 3 . 6 percent in 1999 , because of very narrow habitat selection preferences ( tall , dense , emergent vegetation adjacent to water ) . protection of the remaining habitat from reduction or degradation due to expansion of invasive plants and erosion and restoration of lost habitat are strongly recommended to ensure persistence of this population over the long term . ”
the water shrew regularly dives under the water to capture prey or to avoid danger , sometimes remaining below the surface for over 30 seconds at a time ( 7 ) . during dives , air bubbles trapped in the fur reduces heat loss , although the bubbles also make the water shrew fairly buoyant , meaning that it must paddle vigorously in a walking motion to propel itself forwards ( 5 ) ( 7 ) ( 10 ) .
the water shrew may have up to three litters a year , each with between three and ten young ( 1 ) . the gestation period lasts for around three weeks and , following birth , the young water shrews develop rapidly . the water shrew does not reproduce until after the first full winter , and it has a short lifespan , usually only living to about 18 months ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
in september , four north carolina botanic garden staff members , with the assistance of peter mccallum and brent steury from nps and robert smith from fodm , collected pumpkin ash seeds in dyke marsh for preservation . they met their goal of 10 , 000 or more seeds from 25 or more trees . these seeds will be available in the future to help in the marsh ' s restoration and to replace trees expected to be lost to the eab .
some weather conditions can produce unusually high water levels , bringing sediments onto higher ground . on the other hand , heavy rain in the local area can produce strong outflows , and will wash some of this sediment back out . also working against building up the marsh are two long - term effects : sea level rise and the general subsidence of the entire maryland - virginia area . several different techniques are involved in evaluating the gain or loss of sediments . one , deployed by the national park service , is called a set ( surface elevation table ) ( see photo ) . researchers have installed a dozen of these in the marsh in the last decade . other techniques involve collecting deposits on ceramic tiles and radioisotope sampling as a function of depth . these measurements were made at approximately 24 sites in locations throughout the marsh . results on several time scales - month , season , year , and decade - are presented in the paper . this research by palinkas and walters is not yet complete . also , the sediment results vary considerably from place to place in the marsh . for those reasons , it is not yet possible to draw any firm conclusions about gain and loss over the whole marsh . reading their report , however , suggests that while the marsh is generally gaining in deposited sediments , it may nonetheless be losing to subsidence .
galindo - leal , c . and j . b . runciman . 1994 . status report on the pacific water shrew sorex bendirii in canada . committee on the status of endangered wildlife in canada ( cosewic ) . 31 pp .
the destruction of aquatic habitats through pollution and drainage are the major threats to the water shrew . additionally , activities such as logging , agriculture , road building and mining are further driving habitat loss in many areas ( 1 ) .
dyke marsh is habitat for 300 known species of plants , 6 , 000 arthropods , 38 fish , 34 mammals , 16 reptiles , 14 amphibians , over 270 species of birds and at least 20 , 000 species of insects .
galindo - leal , c . and zuleta , g . 1997 . the distribution , habitat , and conservation status of the pacific water shrew , sorex bendirii , in british columbia . canadian - field naturalist 111 : 422 - 428 .
fodmer laura sebastianelli is monitoring beavers in the western part of dyke marsh , behind river towers . on may 1 , she spotted two families , two adults and a kit and two adults and two kits nursing . at one point , she saw five adults and three kits on top of the lodge ( see photo ) and at least one beaver swimming around . thank you , laura . this is a very special , little - visited part of dyke marsh .
galindo - leal , c . , and g . zuleta . 1997 . the distribution , habitat , and conservation status of the pacific water shrew , sorex bendirii , in british columbia . canadian - field naturalist 111 : 422 - 428 .
it is painful to imagine dyke marsh without its expanse of ash trees so we are doing what we can to ensure that they will revive after an attack ,
said robert smith , fodm project manager . photos courtesy of glenda booth .
lin , t . - t . and y . k . lin . the mating system of the crocidura shantungensis in a salt marsh in northern taiwan . annual meeting of the american society of mammalogists , brookings , sd . 2008 . ( poster )
determination of shrew abundance is relatively difficult , and in most of the range few surveys using appropriate methods have been directed at this species , so total adult population size is unknown . available data suggest that this shrew is relatively rare throughout its range ( e . g . , aubry et al . 1991 , cosewic 2006 ) . extensive trapping ( > 40 , 000 trap - nights ; pitfalls , snap traps , and live traps ) in british columbia yielded very few individuals of this species ( see cosewic 2006 ) .
pagels , j . , k . uthus , h . duval . 1994 . the masked shrew , sorex cinereus , in a relictual habitat of the southern applachian mountains . pp . 103 - 109 in j merritt , g kirkland , r rose , eds .
lin , t . - t . and y . k . lin . the interactions between food abundance , vegetation and popultion dynamic of crocidura shantungensis in guandu salt marsh . symposium on animal behavior and ecology , pingtung , taiwan . 2006 . ( poster )
comments : determination of shrew abundance is relatively difficult , and in most of the range few surveys using appropriate methods have been directed at this species , so total adult population size is unknown . available data suggest that this shrew is relatively rare throughout its range ( e . g . , aubry et al . 1991 , cosewic 2006 ) . extensive trapping ( > 40 , 000 trap - nights ; pitfalls , snap traps , and live traps ) in british columbia yielded very few individuals of this species ( see cosewic 2006 ) .
the water shrew has dark brown - black fur covers the upperparts of the body , sometimes with grey frosting , while the fur underneath is white , often tinged with grey or brown ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) . the chin is considerably lighter than the rest of the body , and the tail is distinctly dark above and light below ( 2 ) ( 7 ) . the male and female water shrew have a similar appearance , but the male is typically larger and heavier than the female ( 2 ) .
it ranges from labrador , nova scotia and new england , across canada to east - central alaska , and south to the northern great lakes region , and is found south along the western mountain ranges of mid - california , nevada , utah and new mexico in the u . s ( 1 ) . water shrew populations are also known from the appalachian mountains , ranging from south - west pennslyvania to north carolina , tennessee and georgia ( 1 ) . the water shrew has been recorded as far north as the yukon territory ( 2 ) .
fodm member deborah hammer led a group of 35 on a frog and bat walk in the western part ( photo , left ) of the dyke marsh wildlife preserve on the evening of may 1 . deborah is a bat educator and rehabilitator . she lives nearby and has observed frogs and bats in this part of dyke marsh for the last 13 years . she is concerned that she is not hearing many spring peepers or seeing as many bats as she used to . “the sky used to be filled with them , ” she commented .
any survey is a “snapshot” at a given time and place , not a comprehensive inventory . total numbers seen on any day can vary tremendously , depending on the weather and time of year . hobson saw more than 1 , 000 of one species in one day and hundreds of another during a short paddling trip , for example . his report notes that “there seems to be a core group of species that can be found consistently in and around the marsh” and that a number of other resident and migratory species could occur in the marsh .
) . additional hantaviruses may remain undiscovered , since in many countries , hantaviral infections are likely to go undetected and not reported , especially in africa , the middle east , and the indian subcontinent . this is especially evident with the recent discovery of shrew - borne hantaviruses around the globe (
lin , t . - t . and y . k . lin . the mating system of the crocidura shantungensis in a salt marsh in northern taiwan , from the perspective of spatial pattern . esa & ser international joint annual meeting , san jose , ca . 2007 . ( poster )
dyke marsh is home to many species that can only survive in wetlands . wetlands are by their nature a water - laden environment with an enormous diversity of life forms . wetlands provide ecological services for free . for example , they mitigate flooding , buffer storms , filter pollutants and provide habitat .
seeing a marsh wren can be challenging , except during the breeding season , when males perform aerial displays before alighting on singing perches on the perimeters of their claimed breeding territories or when building one of their dummy nests . they often flit around furtively , popping up now and then to look around .
isolated populations of the water shrew are extremely vulnerable to extinction resulting from human activities or long - term climate change ( 1 ) . species with small , fragmented distributions are particularly at risk , as often they are unable to adapt to the rapidly changing climate or disperse to more suitable habitat ( 11 ) .
dyke marsh has over 1 , 000 pumpkin ash trees . these trees thrive in wet areas like swamps , floodplains and bottom lands , can reach 130 feet in height and have a 68 - inch diameter . the pumpkin name comes from the trees ' usually swollen or pumpkin - shaped butt or base .
since the ornate shrew is grayish - brown , with paler grayish underparts , and is small and inconspicuous overall , one may wonder about the inspiration for its name . did it remind the biologist who named it , in 1895 , of a well - dressed but unpleasant acquaintance ? the biologist in question , c . hart merriam , commented that the shrew had a distinct patch or
saddle
of darker fur near its rump that strongly contrasted with the softer gray on the rest of its back . this may have been why he named it
ornatus .
the ornate shrew occurs from northern california to northern baja , and in three small , isolated populations , two in baja california , mexico , and one on santa catalina island . it inhabits both upland and marshland habitats , though it must have water nearby . the climate throughout this shrew ' s range is marked by long , dry summers and cooler , wetter winters . habitat preferences , whether saltmarsh or upland terrain , always include enough dense vegetation to give protection from the hot sun or drenching rains . the animal suffers if the onset of the rainy season is delayed .
links : mammal species of the world click here for the american society of mammalogists species account
cartwrightia cartwrighti cartwright , 1967 ( scarab beetle ) islas established the genus in 1958 in honor of coleopterist oscar l . cartwright , who later named this species for his brother . ( for a couple cases of biologists who did name species after themselves , see wright , the naming of the shrew , 34 - 35 . )
characteristic mammals of the ecoregion include : ornate shrew ( sorex ornatus ) , puma ( puma concolor ) , fringed myotis bat ( myotis thysanodes ) , california chipmunk ( tamias obscurus ) , bobcat ( lynx rufus ) , coyote ( canis latrans ) , san joaquin kit fox ( vulpes macrotis ) and bighorn sheep ( ovis canadensis ) .
in june , we documented a gray tree frog . these were welcomed songs that most people have not heard for at least three years . while focused on dyke marsh west , the surprise of the season was ed eder ' s hearing a green tree frog near the haul road , not part of our 2015 study area .
forty enthusiastic volunteers conducted a herpetology survey in the dyke marsh wildlife preserve on may 3 , 2012 , an effort sponsored by the virginia herpetological society , the friends of dyke marsh and the u . s . national park service ( nps ) . herpetology , a branch of zoology , is the study of amphibians ( like frogs , toads , salamanders and newts ) and reptiles ( like snakes , lizards , turtles and terrapins ) . herpetology is derived from greek words meaning the “knowledge of crawling things . ” volunteers looked under logs and rocks , poked in the leaf litter and searched through brush piles . some herpers explored the flotsam and trash along the shoreline .
marsh wrens breed in fresh and brackish marshes , usually in areas of dense , reedy vegetation . they construct elaborate football - shaped nests with round openings by weaving grasses or cattail leaves in a circular manner anchored to reeds or cattails a few feet above the water . the male builds several “dummy nests” nearby , presumably to trick predators .
few achievements thrilled theodore roosevelt as much as his work to conserve natural resources . besides establishing the u . s . forest service , creating five new national parks and placing more than 230 million acres of land under federal protection , roosevelt also lent his name to crocidura roosevelti , a tiny shrew that gambols in the moist savannas of central and east africa .
introduced insect species , such as the gypsy moth ( lymantria dispar ) , may affect some subspecies populations by contributing to habitat loss ( 1 ) . similarly , insecticides used to control outbreaks of pest species may have a negative impact on water shrew populations ( 1 ) ( 6 ) , especially where they enter and contaminate the food chain ( 1 ) .
louis halle , who biked from washington , d . c . , to dyke marsh , extolled this little bird in his 1947 spring in washington : “we heard the wrens this morning before there was light to see them . all over the marshes we heard them , singing in a steady chorus , each song a gurgling chatter , brief but repeated with hardly time for breath between . when it became light enough , we saw the singing wrens as far as the eye could reach over the marshes , carried upward on fluttering wings above the grass - tops by the very exuberance of their song , and sinking back again . the dots were bobbing up and down everywhere , like a natural effervescence given off by the marsh . ”
an excellent website for learning about the many natural resources of dyke marsh wildlife preserve ( dmwp ) is the biodiversity database of the washington , d . c . , area ( bdwa ) , produced by professor dan kjar of elmira college and professor edd barrows of georgetown university’s laboratory of entomology and biodiversity . the bdwa has arthropod lists and photographs of many dmwp organisms , provides
this species is restricted to the coastal region of california , united states southward discontinuously to the tip of baja california , mexico ( wilson and ruff , 1999 ) , san pedro martir , sierra de la laguna and el socorro marsh ( sergio ticul alvarez pers . comm . ) . it ranges from sea level up to 2 , 080 m asl ( carraway , 2007 ) .
the tropical - looking blossoms of the swamp rose mallow ( hibiscus moscheutos ) are among the largest flowers produced by any perennial that is winter - hardy in our area . dyke marsh is home to two plants known as swamp dogwood , cornus amomum and cornus foemina , which are very similar in appearance . the blue berries of the swamp dogwood are eaten by several species of birds .
least shrews are estimated to be active for 11 hours each day , throughout both the day and night . activity peaks at night and decreases during extremely hot and cold months . the majority of a least shrew ' s time is spent staying hidden or hunting . least shrews share food when feeding on a larger organism . when food is scarce , least shrews have been known to resort to cannibalism .
it’s a little brown bird that lives in marsh cattails , bulrushes or cordgrass , and known for its calls . some people hear a rusty hinge . others say it’s a sputtering , bubbling trill . other fans liken the call to a clattering sewing machine , a guttural rattle or a liquid gurgle , ending in chatter . it can be a loud little bird , especially on a spring night .
on may 16 , 2016 , with support from fodm and nps , bartlett tree experts treated another four pumpkin ash trees for the emerald ash borer . at that time , there were many dead trees , presumably because of this non - native insect . “significant numbers of ash trees along the george washington memorial parkway and in dyke marsh have failed to leaf out this spring , ” said fodm project manager robert smith , “presumably due to the emerald ash borer . however , the nine trees we treated last spring are all in good shape . ” he added , “adding these trees to the initial group will greatly enhance the chances that we will be able to maintain a healthy set of pumpkin ash trees in the marsh . hopefully , they will be able to both propagate themselves and provide seeds for use in the restoration . ”
the marsh shrew is a riparian habitat specialist ; associated with wet forests , marshes , and areas adjacent to water ( usually streams / springs ) ; generally in areas of coniferous or mixed forest with downed logs ; often , but not always , in mature stands ( nagorsen 1996 ) . considering the entire range , the breeding season extends from late january to late august , with most young born in march ( nagorsen 1996 ) . gestation lasts about three weeks . litter size is three to four ( nagorsen 1996 ) . males do not breed in their first summer ( nagorsen 1996 ) . apparently , adults breed in only one season ( they do not survive overwinter ) . they feed primarily on aquatic insects and other small invertebrates . food may be captured on land or in water . may cache excess food . it is active throughout the year .
the marsh shrew is a riparian habitat specialist ; associated with wet forests , marshes , and areas adjacent to water ( usually streams / springs ) ; generally in areas of coniferous or mixed forest with downed logs ; often , but not always , in mature stands ( nagorsen , 1996 ) . considering the entire range , the breeding season extends from late january to late august , with most young born in march ( nagorsen 1996 ) . gestation lasts about three weeks . litter size is three to four ( nagorsen , 1996 ) . males do not breed in their first summer ( nagorsen , 1996 ) . apparently , adults breed in only one season ( they do not survive overwinter ) . they feed primarily on aquatic insects and other small invertebrates . food may be captured on land or in water . may cache excess food . it is active throughout the year .
the dyke marsh wildlife preserve is a 485 - acre freshwater , tidal wetland complex just south of alexandria , virginia , in fairfax county , virginia , on the western shoreline of the potomac river around 95 miles from the chesapeake bay . congress added the preserve to the national park system in 1959
so that fish and wildlife development and their preservation as wetland wildlife habitat shall be paramount .
( public law 86 - 41 )
in canada , suitable habitat has disappeared at a rapid rate and most remaining habitat is highly modified , fragmented , and isolated , due to residential , commercial , recreational ( such as golf courses ) , industrial , and agricultural development ( cosewic 2006 ) . additionally , run - off and storm water management associated with these developments often degrades shrew habitat ( cosewic 2006 ) . these threats apply to a usually lesser degree across the global range .
focused on dyke marsh west because some river towers condominiums residents expressed concerns about what appeared to be declining frog species over the past several years . they said , for example , that they still heard bullfrogs and green frogs , but they no longer heard spring peepers , american toads , wood frogs or gray tree frogs . experts say it is not unusual for amphibian populations to rise and fall . worldwide , scientists have documented an overall decline .
comments : in canada , suitable habitat has disappeared at a rapid rate and most remaining habitat is highly modified , fragmented , and isolated , due to residential , commercial , recreational ( such as golf courses ) , industrial , and agricultural development ( cosewic 2006 ) . additionally , run - off and storm water management associated with these developments often degrades shrew habitat ( cosewic 2006 ) . these threats apply to a usually lesser degree across the global range .
breeding occurs from february to august in north america ( 1 ) . the nest is typically made from grass and plant material , with a depression in the centre ( 8 ) , and is placed close to water , usually in an underground burrow , on a raft of logs or in a beaver lodge ( 1 ) . the water shrew may also construct tunnel systems , or it may use those of other species ( 7 ) ( 8 ) .
endres , m . j . , p . r . clapham , m . marsh , m . ahuja , j . d . turner , a . mcknight , j . f . thomas , b . stoebenau - haggarty , s . choe , p . j . vance , t . n . wells , c . a . power , s . s . sutterwala , r . w . doms , n . r . landau , and j . a . hoxie .
in 1950 , surveyors counted 87 singing males in dyke marsh .
thirty - one territories were located in 1998 and 34 in 1999 . the minimum estimated population size for 1998 was 38 ( 34 territorial males and seven breeding females ) ; and for 1999 , 48 ( 34 territories males and 14 breeding females ) ,
wrote sandy c . spencer in her 2000 master’s degree thesis for george mason university . ( spencer is now supervisory wildlife biologist at the patuxent research refuge . )
from april to june , 2015 , i had a english - history - chemistry assignment at thomas jefferson ( tj ) high school for science and technology to create a documentary about a local environmental issue involving chemistry . my group chose to address the restoration of the dyke marsh wetland because it ' s an important project that affects our community and the health of the potomac river . we thought it would be interesting to make our documentary child friendly , so we chose to use a puppet approach .
comments : subgenus otisorex . s . vagrans complex . karyotype has 2n = 53 - 54 , fn = 62 - 67 ( brown , 1974 ) . findley ' s ( 1955b ) wide concept of the vagrans group was substantially modified by hennings and hoffmann ( 1977 ) and junge and hoffmann ( 1981 ) . the group was partly revised by carraway ( 1990 ) . demboski and cook ( 2001 ) analyzed the phylogeography of the
dusky shrew complex
which overlaps with the s . vagrans complex of carraway ( 1990 )
in 2007 , surveyors found six established territories ; in 2008 , 10 breeding pairs ; in 2010 and 2011 , 12 established territories , but in these years , surveyors probably did not cover the same areas . in the 2012 survey , larry cartwright , head of fodm’s annual breeding bird survey , confirmed only two active nests and reported that surveyors saw or heard eight territorial males and possibly two to four more , conservative estimates he believes . surveyors have not confirmed any breeding marsh wrens since 2014 , a very troubling trend .
on september 25 , 2017 , five fodmers and brent steury with the national park service surveyed the treated trees in dyke marsh . project leader robert smith wrote , “it was very encouraging to see that all of these trees had leafed out this season and that all six of the females had produced plenty of seeds . six of the trees were originally treated in 2015 , four more were treated in 2016 thanks to a dedicated donation , and six more were added by nps in 2017 and all 16 were treated this spring with nps funding ( mitigation for three that were accidentally removed last year ) .
fodm is partnering with the national park service ( nps ) on a project to try to save some of the preserve ' s pumpkin ash trees ( fraxinus profunda ) from destruction by the emerald ash borer ( eab ) ( agrilus planipennis ) , an invasive insect that was found in fairfax county in 2003 and has been documented in great falls and turkey run parks .
an eab infestation is always fatal to ash trees ,
says the u . s . department of agriculture ( usda ) website . the insect could kill all of the pumpkin ash trees in dyke marsh in 20 years without action .
i’m broadly interested in the evolution of behaviors . in my m . s . research , i studied the mating system of the asian lesser white - toothed shrew in taiwan . it was the first study of crocidurinae in subtropical area that presented both field and genetic data to look into their social and mating behaviors . contrary to past presumption that they are monogamy , their social mating system was polygyny and genetic mating system was promiscuity . the discrepancy between theory and field data highlights the complicated interaction between animal evolutionary history and external environment . for my phd research , i will look for the interface between behavior ecology and molecular evolution . i hope to study cause of behaviors and its consequences in genetic structure and evolution .
national park service biologist brent steury wrote , “marsh wrens are cute little brown - eyed birds not much over five inches long and weigh in at about half an ounce . their dark brown cap rests atop a bold white supercilium , or eyebrow , that broadens as it extends from the base of the bill to the base of the neck . the body is chestnut , with a black , white streaked cape over the shoulders . the throat is nearly white and the belly pale buff . sexes are identical . active and noisy , they flutter rapidly among the cattails , often observed when perched with splayed legs , each foot tightly clasping a separate stem , bill agape in loud unmistakable song . ” they usually hold their tails upright or often almost laying on the back , a distinctive trait .
of the approximately 30 mammalian species of mammals present , one of them ( an endemic bat ) lives only in pine - oak forests . the level of endemism is high , and this is well demonstrated by the proportion of endemic species with respect to total recorded species . more than ten percent of the mammalian species found at sierra de la laguna are endemic . one notable mammal found along the far west coast , including california and baja , is the ornate shrew ( sorex ornatus ) . there are several threatened mammals found in the sierra de la laguna pine - oak forests , including : the mexican long - tongued bat ( choeronycteris mexicana nt ) . the isolation of this region has contributed to the scarcity of predators , and to the poor competitive ability of some animals . rodents and lagomorphs are virtually absent from the region
comments : genetic analyses indicate that s . ornatus is phylogeographically structured into 3 genetically differentiated regions ( southern , central , and northern ) ( maldonado et al . 2001 ) . in the northern region , ornate shrews cannot be genetically differentiated from their sister taxon , the wandering shrew ( s . vagrans ) . maldonaldo et al . ( 2001 ) suggested that northern ornate shrews might have been misclassified . however , analysis of skull morphology revealed that ornate and wandering shrews , as well as the closely related montane shrew ( s . monticolus ) , are well differentiated . shrews from the northern region have a morphology similar to ornate shrews and not to wandering or montane shrews ( maldonado et al . 2004 ) . within the ornate shrews , morphological differentiation is not concordant with the deep tripartite pattern of genetic differentiation ( maldonado et al . 2004 ) . skull shape differences among populations could be the result of local adaptation , whereas the long history of isolation might have contributed little to morphological differences between species . maldonado et al . ( 2004 ) suggested that wandering shrews might be derived from the postglacial northward expansion of an ancestral population of northern ornate shrews . maldonado et al . ( 2004 ) determined that s . o . lagunae , s . o . salarius , and s . o . relictus appear to be morphologically divergent from s . o . ornatus and s . o . californicus , whereas s . o . sinuosus and s . o . salicornicus do not resemble the surrounding subspecies that are in close proximity . subspecies sinuosus and willetti have been recognized as distinct species in some literature . see george ( 1988 ) for an electrophoretic study of systematic relationships among sorex species .
habitat selection , abundance , and distribution of sorex cinereus , s . arcticus , s . monticolus , s . palustris , microsorex hoyi , and blarina brevicauda in manitoba are described . manitoba covers six terrestrial biotic zones ranging from the arctic tundra biome to the grassland biome . during 9 years of study , a total of 1 , 762 specimens was obtained from about 1 , 000 sites categorized into 30 hydric , mesic , and xeric habitats . shrews also were censused on 28 2 - ha quadrats representing all the major plant communities . present distributions of the six shrews are interpreted in light of the advances and retreats of glaciers , glacial lakes , and biomes since the wisconsin maximum . range extensions are reported for microsorex , s . palustris , s . arcticus , and s . monticolus . s . monticolus occurs across canada in the taiga as far east as thompson , an enormous region from which it was previously unknown . these four species have glacial - relict populations along the southern treeline , and the first three are also limited in distribution by the northern treeline . s . cinereus was the most widespread and abundant shrew ( 70 . 1 % of captures ) ; blarina , s . arcticus , and s . palustris were common ( 11 . 2 , 9 . 5 , and 7 . 4 % respectively ) ; and microsorex and s . monticolus were rare ( 1 . 1 and 0 . 7 % ) . the most productive habitats for shrews were grass - sedge marsh and willow - alder fen , the only two in which all six species were found . types of vegetation and cover influenced the distribution and abundance of shrews through the maintenance of high moisture levels and the provision of food supplies .