Sorex bendirii
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Sorex
Sorex bendirii

description: 81. Marsh Shrew <i>Sorex bendirii</i> <b>French:</b> Musaraigne de Bendire / <b>German:</b> Pazifische Sumpfspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarana de marisma <b>Other common names:</b> Pacific Water Shrew <b>Taxonomy.</b> Atophyrax bendirii Merriam, 1884, “ about a mile from Williamson's River, and some eighteen miles southeast of Fort Klamath,” Klamath County, Oregon, USA. Sorex bendirii is in the S. palustris group and subgenus Otisorex; it is sister to S. navigator. Three subspecies recognized. <b>Subspecies and Distribution.</b> S.b.bendiriiMerriam,1884—SWBritishColumbia(SWCanada)SthroughSW&amp;CWashingtonandWCOregontoNWCalifornia(NWUSA). S.b.albiventerMerriam,1895—OlympicPeninsulainNWWashington(NWUSA). S. b. palmer: Merriam, 1895 — W Oregon and extreme NW California (NW USA). <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head—body 70-101 mm, tail 60-80 mm, hindfoot 18-23 mm; weight 10-21 g. The Marsh Shrew is eesil to the American Water Shrew (S. palustris). Dorsum is very dark blackish, occasionally with scattered pale hairs throughout. Venteris about the same but slightly lighter. Feet are large and dark and have some hair on their sides but not fringed or white as in the American Water Shrew. Tail is long, not tufted at end, and naked looking, being dark blackish throughout or occasionally slightly lighter below. Teeth are pigmented dark red. There are five unicuspids, fourth is smaller than third, and fifth is much smaller. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 54 and FN = 70. <b>Habitat.</b> Riparian habitats, most often in marshes, swamps, and near streams, ponds, and lakes. The Marsh Shrew is generally found near water in coniferous or mixed old growth forests with plenty offallen logs to build nests under. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> Marsh Shrews eat earthworms, sowbugs, spiders, centipedes, termites, and other soft-bodied arthropods on land and aquatic arthropods underwater. They forage equally well on land and underwater, where they probe rocks and crevices with their snouts. When food is plentiful, they cache food for later use. <b>Breeding.</b> Reproduction of the Marsh Shrew occurs from January until late August, with most young born in March. Gestation lasts c.3 weeks, and litters have 3—4 young. Few individuals survive to reproduce for more than one season because older individuals die off during winter. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Marsh Shrews are active throughout the day and year-round. They can swim underwater using their hindlimbs for propulsion and can even run on water for 3-5 seconds using air bubbles that get trapped under fur on their feet. They are very buoyant underwater because a layer of air surrounds them. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Marsh Shrews are solitary when not breeding and rearing young. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Habitat of the Marsh Shrew in some regions is decreasing due to urbanization and habitat fragmentation, although it is still relatively common. <b>Bibliography.</b> Brown (1974), Cassola (2016u), Galindo-Leal &amp; Zuleta (1997), Hope et al. (2014), Mycroft et al. (2011), Nagorsen (1996), Nagorsen et al. (2017), O'Neill et al. (2005), Pattie (1969, 1973).
description: Published as part of <i>Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, pp. 332-551 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on pages 422-423, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843