Kingdom Animalia Order Eulipotyphla Genus Sorex Higher classification Sorex | Phylum Chordata Family Soricidae Scientific name Sorex haydeni Rank Species | |
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Similar Inyo shrew, Baird's shrew, Barren ground shrew, Pribilof Island shrew, Fog shrew | ||
The prairie shrew (Sorex haydeni) is a small shrew found in the Canadian prairies and midwestern United States. At one time, this species was considered to be a subspecies of the similar cinereus shrew, S. cinereus.
It is brown in colour with light grey underparts with a long tail. Its body is about 8 cm in length including a 3 cm long tail. It weighs about 4 g. This animal is found in open grasslands, often near water. It eats insects, worms, snails, small mammals and seeds. Predators include hawks, owls, snakes, and foxes. This animal is active day and night year-round. It mates between spring and fall. 3 to 6 young are born in a nest under a log or rocks.
References
Prairie shrew Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA