NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Least Shrew

The Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva) is one of the smallest creatures in the Class Mammalia, growing to be only up to 3 inches long. These tiny shrews are active at all hours of the day, but mostly at night. Least shrews have a long pointed snout and a tail never more than twice the length of their hind foot. They have a dense fur coat that is either grayish-brown or reddish-brown with a white belly. Their fur becomes lighter in the Summer and darker in the Winter. Although similar in appearance to several species of rodents, the least shrew is a member of Insectivora and should not be mistaken for a member of the Rodentia order. Found in the grasslands of Eastern United States and in Central America, the least shrew utilizes the surface runways of rodents larger than itself. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Eutheria (includes extinct ancestors)/Placentalia (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata (extinct) Perissodactyla Pholidota Plesiadapiformes... Families Erinaceidae Soricidae Talpidae Solenodontidae The biological order Insectivora in the past was used as a scrapbasket for a variety of small to very small, relatively unspecialized, insectivorous mammals. ... This article is about the animal; see also The Taming of the Shrew for the use of this term to describe a person. ... Species See text The genus Cryptotis is a group of relatively small shrews with short ears which are usually not visible and short tails. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Thomas Say. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... This article is about the animal; see also The Taming of the Shrew for the use of this term to describe a person. ... Families Erinaceidae Soricidae Talpidae Solenodontidae The biological order Insectivora in the past was used as a scrapbasket for a variety of small to very small, relatively unspecialized, insectivorous mammals. ... Families Many, see text The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Commonly, Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ...

The least shrew’s eyes are small and their ears are completely concealed within their short fur, giving the least shrew very poor eyesight and hearing. Hunting by smell and touch, the least shrew digs through loose soil and leaf litter for their prey along the surface of the ground. The behavior of captive individuals suggests that they can also tunnel through moist soil in search of food much like moles do. Their diet consists of mostly small insects, but they will also eat from the corpses of dead animals, and small amounts of seeds or fruits. When eating crickets and grasshoppers, the least shrew will bite off the head of its prey and eat only the internal organs. When fighting a larger creature, the least shrew will aim for the legs and try to cripple its adversary. Least shrews will bite lizards, which are often too large for the least shrew to kill, on the tail, which then falls off and provides the least shrew with a meal while the lizard escapes. Least shrews will also sometime live inside beehives and eat all the larvae. They will often share their food with other shrews, or store it away for later. Genera Uropsilus Desmana Galemys Talpa Mogera Parascaptor Scaptochirus Scaptonyx Scapanulus Urotrichus Neurotrichus Scalopus Parascalops Scapanus Condylura For other meanings, see Mole (disambiguation). ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets... Genera Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as true crickets), are insects related to grasshoppers and katydids (order Orthoptera). ... Families Superfamily: Proscopioidea Proscopiidae Superfamily: Eumastacoidea Eumastacidae Thericleidae Superfamily: Xyronotoidea Tanaoceridae Xyrotonotidae Superfamily: Pampagoidea Pamphagidae Superfamily: Pyrgomorphoidea Pyrgomorphidae Superfamily: Trigonopteryguidea Borneancrididae Trigonopterygidae Superfamily: Acridoidea Acrididae Cyrtacanthacridinae Romaleidae Superfamily: Tetrigoidea Batrachideidae Tetrigidae Superfamily: Tridactyloidea Tridactylidae Ripipterygidae Superfamily: Cylindrichaetoidea Cylindrichaetidea Unknown: Charilaidae Dericorythidae Euschmidtiidae Lathiceridae Lentulidae Lithidiidae Ommexechidae Pneumoridae Pyrgacrididae Tridactylidae Tristiridae... This page is about Lizards, the order of reptile. ... Domesticated honeybees are kept in beehives. ... This article is about the animal; see also The Taming of the Shrew for the use of this term to describe a person. ...

Least Shrews make their homes in burrows or shallow runways under flat stones or fallen logs. Their burrows are about 2.5cm in diameter, form 25cm to 1.5m long, and seldom more than 20cm below the ground. Least shrews are social creatures and often cooperate in digging their burrows and often sleep together. They will line their burrows with leaves and grass in nests for the purpose of rearing children. The breeding season extends from early March to late November. Females produce two or more litters each season. Each litter will consist of about three to six young, each on weighing about 0.3g, which grow quickly and will be adult size in about one month. Least shrews rarely live more than a year. The natural predators of least shrews are owls, hawks, red foxes, raccoons, striped skunks, and snakes. The least shrew will try to defend itself with its venomous saliva. The term hawk refers to birds of prey in any of three senses: Strictly, to mean any of the species in the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis, and Megatriorchis. ... It has been suggested that Cross fox be merged into this article or section. ... For the animated television series see The Raccoons Binomial name Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor), often just called the Raccoon, is a mammal native to America. ... Genera Mephitis Spilogale Conepatus The skunks or Mephitidae are a family of medium-sized mammals, typically black-and-white-furred, belonging to the order Carnivora. ... Families Acrochordidae Aniliidae Anomalepididae Anomochilidae Atractaspididae Boidae Bolyeriidae Colubridae Cylindrophiidae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Leptotyphlopidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Typhlopidae Uropeltidae Viperidae Xenopeltidae Snakes are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ...

In Canada, a small population of this animal has been found at Long Point in Ontario. This article is about the Long Point located on the north shore of Lake Erie. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English, French (in some areas) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation - House seat - Senate seats 106 24 Area - Total - % water Ranked 4th 1,076,395...

References

The Mammals of Texas Revised Edition by David J. Schmidly
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/least_shrew.htm

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