Family: Soricidae, Shrews view all from this family

Description Conspicuous ears extend beyond the silvery to brownish-gray fur. Tail short (less than one third of total length) and unicolored. The belly is paler. This is the only shrew in most of the arid and semiarid habitats of the southwestern United States.

Dimensions 77-98mm, 24-32mm, 3-6g

Habitat Forests & woodlands, Deserts, Scrub, shrub & brushlands

Range Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Texas, California

Discussion It builds golf-ball-sized nests of fine fibers inside woodrat houses. Ranges widely in arid environments from southern California eastward to Arkansas.