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southeastern shrew

southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris) Photo coming soon.

Features and Behaviors

FEATURES
An adult southeastern shrew is between three and four inches in length, including the tail. This dark, red-brown shrew has a tail with very little hair.

BEHAVIORS
The southeastern shrew may be found in the southern one-half of Illinois. It lives in prairies, grassy fields and damp areas with grasses. This mammal eats spiders, crickets, beetles, slugs, snails and some vegetation. It is mainly active during the day. The southeastern shrew makes a series of very soft chirps, like a bird. Breeding takes place at least from March through October. Females born in the spring can produce a litter in the fall. The average litter size is about four. In some females the embryos develop slowly over the winter and are not born until the next spring.

Illinois Range

Taxonomy

​Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae

Illinois Status: common, native