The Pacific shrew (Sorex pacificus ) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to western Oregon in the United States.The Pacific Shrew is native to western Oregon, more specifically from the Siltcoos lake to the coast going from the border line of Douglas and Lane counties continuing south to the northern parts of California. The first documented Pacific shrew to be caught was found at the mouth of the Umpqua River in 1858. They are normally found in damp areas along creeks in forests and sometimes near collapsed trees. Their refuge is of the utmost importance and they are seldom found far from it. This includes collapsed trees or dense vegetation. They use the flora to build a nest, gathering small plants such as grass, moss, lichen, or leaves into a pile and pushing themselves into the middle.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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starts withThey are the largest brown shrew in western Oregon. They weigh only ten to eighteen grams and their length (including the tail) is 135 to 160 millimeters. In the summer time they have short, red-tinted brown hair, which gets longer and darker moving into the colder seasons. Their feet and tails are usually a tan color with the possibility of being brown. Sometimes older shrews will have dark tips to their tails. Like their fur, their incisor teeth have a reddish brown tint on the tips.
Not much is known about the population of the Pacific Shrew, but they are not a rare sight. It is very likely that their numbers are more than 10,000. In all likelihood, their population size has not decreased over twenty five percent over a long period of time. According to the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) they are of least concern. They are doing very well in numbers. This might be because there have been no major threats recognized. They are nocturnal so their main predators are owls, but they have been known to be caught by salamanders. Although they are not threatened there are safe places for them to live such as the Crater Lake national park and other state parks.