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| Distribution |
In NC, it is found mainly in the mountains, but sparingly in the extreme northern Coastal Plain, in the Great Dismal Swamp area. There are as yet no Piedmont records. As it is a "northern" species, it is assumed to occur in all of the northern mountain counties, despite no records as yet for most of them. Its absence in the Piedmont is apparently real.
Occurs from coast to coast, from AK to Labrador, and south to the northern states. In the East, it ranges southward into the southern Appalachians, and on the Coastal Plain into northern NC. |
| Abundance |
Rare to uncommon, but probably widespread, over at least the southern half of the mountains. Can be locally numerous -- at least in parts of Macon and Jackson counties. Apparently very rare in the northern mountains. Rare in the Great Dismal Swamp area of the northern Coastal Plain, but not known from any counties farther southward. |
| Seasonal Occurrence |
Active year-round. |
| Habitat |
Primarily in hardwood forests, less so in mixed forests; seldom found in the mountains away from such wooded habitats. However, in the Coastal Plain it has been found in a variety of habitats, from brushy fields, to cut-over lands, to pine plantations, to upland hardwoods. |
| Behavior |
As it is such a tiny species, it easily moves beneath leaf litter. It is active both day and night. |
| Comments |
This is the smallest mammal in the country, and because of that it had been hard to trap until pitfall cans and drift fencing were used to capture small mammals. Though much has been learned of its range and habits since the 1980's, when there were just a few state records, its abundance is poorly known, and it still has never been recorded from the northern mountains (except for Wilkes County) and from the Piedmont. However, most small mammals can be quite numerous, and in reality this probably isn't a rare species in the mountains. In fact, several years ago the N.C. Natural Heritage Program moved the species from its Rare List to its Watch List. |
| Origin |
Native |
| NC List |
Official |
 State Rank |
S3 |
| State Status |
W |
| Global Rank |
G5 |
| Federal Status |
|
| subspecies |
Sorex hoyi winnemana |
| other_comName |
Pygmy Shrew |
| synonym |
Microsorex hoyi |
