American Water Shrew
Encyclopedia
The American Water Shrew (Sorex palustris) or Northern Water Shrew, is a large North America
n shrew
found in aquatic habitats. Some sources include the Glacier Bay Water Shrew
, S. alaskanus, within this species.
This animal is dark grey in colour with lighter underparts with a long tail. Air bubbles are trapped in the thick fur when the animal dives underwater. Its feet have a fringe of hairs, more visible on the larger hind feet, which allow this animal to run on the water's surface. Its total body length is about 15 cm with a tail length of 8 cm. Average weight is about 13 g.
This animal is found near streams and lakes along the Rocky Mountains
, Appalachian Mountains
, across Canada
, and the midwestern United States
.
It swims well and makes short dives in search of food. Its diet includes aquatic insects, small fish, tadpoles, slugs and snails. It is thought to use echolocation
to help find prey. Predators include hawk
s, owl
s, snakes, mustelids and large fish.
This animal is active during the day but are more active at night. It is generally solitary and territorial except during mating. The female has 2 to 3 litters of 5 to 7 young in a nest in a tunnel or under a log. Water shrews typically live about 18 months.
the North American water shrew is one of many different types for shrews.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n shrew
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
found in aquatic habitats. Some sources include the Glacier Bay Water Shrew
Glacier Bay Water Shrew
The Glacier Bay Water Shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Alaska in the United States. It can swim underwater, and when it stops swimming, air trapped in its fur lets it float back up to the surface. Due to small hairs on its feet, the water shrew can actually...
, S. alaskanus, within this species.
This animal is dark grey in colour with lighter underparts with a long tail. Air bubbles are trapped in the thick fur when the animal dives underwater. Its feet have a fringe of hairs, more visible on the larger hind feet, which allow this animal to run on the water's surface. Its total body length is about 15 cm with a tail length of 8 cm. Average weight is about 13 g.
This animal is found near streams and lakes along the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the midwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It swims well and makes short dives in search of food. Its diet includes aquatic insects, small fish, tadpoles, slugs and snails. It is thought to use echolocation
Animal echolocation
Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals.Echolocating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects...
to help find prey. Predators include hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, snakes, mustelids and large fish.
This animal is active during the day but are more active at night. It is generally solitary and territorial except during mating. The female has 2 to 3 litters of 5 to 7 young in a nest in a tunnel or under a log. Water shrews typically live about 18 months.
Subspecies
The American water shrew has nine subspecies.- Sorex palustris albibarbis
- Sorex palustris brooksi
- Sorex palustris gloveralleni
- Sorex palustris hydrobadistes
- Sorex palustris labradorensis
- Sorex palustris navigator
- Sorex palustris palustris
- Sorex palustris punctulatus
- Sorex palustris turneri
the North American water shrew is one of many different types for shrews.