The Vagrant Shrew is a medium-sized Shrew that has a wide range across the western parts of Canada and the United States. They live in all kinds of habitats, ranging from forests to grasslands, but they tend to prefer drier, scrub-like areas.
One really interesting fact about Vagrant Shrews is that they use a form of echolocation! Granted, it isn't used to hunt, like in Bats or Dolphins, but they emit high frequency noises in order to orient themselves.
Vagrant Shrews get their name from the measures that they will take to find food. They utilize tunnels and runways created by other creatures, and feed on all sorts of invertebrates, as well as on plants and fungi. IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location :Western Canada and United States Size : Body Length up to 3in (10cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Soricomorpha Family : Soricidae -- Genus : Sorex -- Species : S. vagrans
If you couldn't tell from the name, the Pygmy Shrew is a tiny little guy, typically measuring less than 2in (52mm). They also weigh next to nothing, at a whopping .14oz (4g)! They are found across Europe and Asia and are one of the world's smallest mammals.
Pygmy Shrews are so tiny that they aren't even able to hibernate; they have nowhere to store any fat reserves. They also have ridiculously fast metabolisms which force them to consume 125% of their own body weight every single day. Pygmy Shrews eat invertebrates like spiders, grasshoppers, and beetles.
Females give birth to multiple litters each year, each containing 4-7 young. They age quickly, and only live about a year and a half at the maximum.
Pygmy Shrews are listed as being of least concern. Their population is stable, but their small size does make them susceptible to environmental changes.
Condylura cristata is a quite amusing looking little fellow. The common name comes from the fact that their nose is completely hairless and has 22 small "tentacles" that give a star-like appearance. But more on that remarkable nose later. Star Nosed Moles can be found in low wetlands throughout North America and can grow to about 20cm in length.
The nose of the Star Nosed Mole is the most sensitive organ in the entire animal kingdom. Its nose has over 25,000 touch receptors known as Eimer's Organs, which rapidly tell the brain whether or not what they are touching is edible. Star Nosed Moles are able to locate and consume prey with amazing speed (it is believed they are also the fastest eaters in the animal kingdom as well), and their remarkable sense of touch more than makes up for their poor eyes. It is believed that their eyes are only really good for sensing light and dark.The Moles dig complex tunnel networks with their specialized claws, and build nests underground made from dried plants and grasses.
Star Nosed Moles are monogamous for each breeding season, but have a short life expectancy of only 2-4 years. Star Nosed Moles are preyed upon by various birds, land mammals, and even fish. These Moles are excellent swimmers and will even forage for food while underwater.
Alright so. The Hispaniolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) is considered to be one of the best examples of what mammals looked like during their beginnings over 70 million years ago. The ancestors of this shrew-like creature branched off from other mammalian families during the late Cretaceous period, and the extant Hispaniolan Solenodon is now one of the last few remaining native mammal species in the Caribbean. Literally dozens of mammal species existed on these islands prior to human colonization, but now due to loss of habitat and increased predation from introduced species populations, only around fifteen remain.
The Hispaniolan Solenodon is unique to the island of Hispaniola, were it can be found in a multitude of habitats... well, that is, if you can find them. They are very difficult to locate in the wild, and at times many believed them to be extinct. Conservation efforts have been ongoing between various government agencies, zoo organizations, and the EDGE program. EDGE brings awareness and conservation to some of the rarest and most genetically unique mammal and amphibian species in the world. The Hispaniolan Solenodon is an EDGE Focal Species.
What makes the Hispaniolan Solenodon so unique? Well, aside from the 76 million year old evolutionary split, they are one of only a few mammals that can produce toxic saliva. This mechanism is used to capture their insect prey and is something that was more commonly found in prehistoric mammals. The venom is injected through their lower incisors. Solenodons are about the size of rats, are nocturnal, and live in family groups that consist of a breeding pair and one to two offspring. Only one case of captive breeding has ever been documented. Their life expectancy in the wild is unknown, but one captive individual lived eleven years, which places them as relatively long lived small mammal. Traditionally they only had three major predators, the Barn and Stygian Owls, and the Hispaniolan Boa. Today, feral dogs and cats, as well as mongoose introduced to the island, have hurt their numbers considerably. More information about this fascinating creature and its conservation can be found at EDGE and at The Last Survivors project.
Thank you so much to @greenantilles for the wonderful suggestion!
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