# Northern Short-tailed Shrew

*Blarina brevicauda*

It is one of the very few venomous mammals in the world, using its toxic saliva to paralyze prey so it can keep them alive and fresh for later consumption.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Eulipotyphla › Soricidae › Blarina
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous and coniferous forests, grasslands, and damp brushy areas with deep leaf litter.
- **Diet:** Carnivorous; mainly earthworms, insects, snails, salamanders, and small rodents.
- **Range:** North America, United States, Canada
- **Size:** Length: 10-14 cm; Weight: 15-30 g
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 years
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide accumulation, habitat fragmentation, and predation by domestic cats and birds of prey.
- **Safe to approach?:** Defensive and venomous. This shrew is harmless to humans unless handled, but it will bite if trapped or squeezed. Maintain a respectful distance. If bitten, wash the wound immediately with soap and water; the venom causes localized burning and swelling. Seek medical advice if pain persists or signs of infection develop.

## About

The northern short-tailed shrew ( Blarina brevicauda ) is the largest shrew in the genus Blarina , and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. It is a semifossorial, highly active, and voracious insectivore and is present in a variety of habitats. It is notable in that it is one of the few venomous mammals. The specific epithet, brevicauda , is a combination of the Latin brevis and cauda , meaning "short tail".

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/6c97685c-e773-4e16-bcd0-0a3b495b9398
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/63113
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_short-tailed_shrew
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/101182785/medium.jpg (Gilles Gonthier, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.