Short-tailed Shrew

Use: General Activity

Authors: Irwin G.Martin, Department of Zoology, University of Massachusetts

Methods: N/A

Publications/Presentations: Irwin G.Martin. An ethogram of Blarina brevicauda. The American Midland Naturaalist.

Agonistic Behavior

Approach: Direct walk or run to conspecific (Olsen, 1969) Stance: Quadrupedal, mouth open, usually with vocalizations (Olsen, 1969)

Tripedal: Fore foot nearest opponent raised, usually with vocalizations (Olsen, 1969)

Sideways: Two limbs towards opponent raised, rarely with vocalizations (Olsen, 1969)

Back: On back, with feet kicking in air, possibly with vocalizations (Olsen, 1969)

Upright: Bipedal or sitting, facing opponent (Olsen, 1969)

Chase: Usually resident animal chases intruder (Platt, 1976)

Vocalizations: Loud, high-pitched chatter. (See Lutz, 1964, and Gould, 1969, for complete descriptions of sounds)

Retreat: Leaving agonistic encounter (Olsen, 1969)

Attack: (Olsen 1969)

Combat: Usually fight head to tail (Olsen, 1969)

Comfort Behavior

Sleeping: Positions described by Rood (1958) Grooming: Biting or licking self (Rood, 1958). Also seen to scratch with hindfeet

Mouth Pawing: Wiping of noxious substances from the mouth with forefeet (Brodie et al., 1979)

Urination: Usually performed at specific toilet site

Defecation at wad: Deposit of feces at specific toilet site. Shull (1907) noted this pattern in captivity only and was unable to find specific toilet sites in Blarina runways or nests in the fields

Defecation, random: Deposit of feces randomly in cage

Shaking: Stationary ÒshiveringÓ. Rarely seen but usually occurs after disturbance with sleeping. Possible method of body temperature increase.

Locomotory Behavior

Walking: Walking in an open area uncovered

Running: Running in an open area uncovered

Runway use: Running or walking through accustomed tunnels or protected trails

Climbing: Climbing by wedging body between small crevices or using footholds

Jumping: Short jump (few inches) from a bipedal stance

Thigmotaxis: Moving along a wall, usually with sniffing, in a novel environment

Feeding Behavior

Eating: Lifts head while eating, apparently to aid swallowing (Rood, 1958). Also seen to swallow without raising head.

Drinking: Lifts head while drinking, apparently to aid swallowing (Rood, 1958). Also seen to be able to lap water with tongue.

Grabbing: Quick movement to hold onto object with mouth. Apparently allows the salivary poison (see Pearson, 1942) to take effect on prey.

Grabbing: Shrew maintains tooth hold on prey. May remain still or may be pulled along behind prey.

Carrying: Object smaller than the size of the shrew is carried in mouth forward and held off the ground. Food is usually carried to be eaten in a protected area.

Dragging: Object larger than or equal to the size of the shrew is dragged backwards after a grab. Live or dead prey is usually dragged to a protected area where it is eaten.

Biting: Quick movement without holding after a bite. May include unsuccessful grabs.

Snapping: Lunging forward with mouth closing quickly. Probable missed grabs or bites.

Investigative Behavior

Standing: Olfactory and/or auditory alertness while standing motionless and uncovered

Sniffing: Active movement of rostrum either in air or along ground while standing or walking

Upright search: Olfactory and/or auditory alertness while bipedal or sitting. May also include leaning against a vertical object while on hindfeet.

Side-to-side: Active movements of rostrum along the ground from side to side while walking. Apparent olfactory tracking seen usually when prey has crossed shrewÕs path, then became motionless.

Rapid pursuit: Running after prey, apparently by following auditory or vibratory stimuli

Echolocation: Clicking sounds while slowly moving through a novel environment. Probable primitive echolocation (Gould, et al., 1964)

Peeping: Low, soft ÒpeepsÓ, usually while stationary in a novel or possibly moderate stress situation

Nest-guarding: In nest with head in an entranceway or protruding out of nest. Probable olfactory and/or auditory alertness.

Rostral peeking: Animal underground pushes tip of rostrum only through soil surface. Probable olfactory investigation, possibly related to nest-guarding but seen in different situations.

Open-mouth posture: Mouth wide open, usually seen during nest-guarding. Possible vomeronasal investigation or intention of vocal threat. Seen often in shrews which also frequently vocalize (r=0.15); this relationship seems to support a vocal threat intention hypothesis for open-mouth posture.

Alert-in-nest: Motionless, but alert to respond to any disturbance while in nest. Seen after a mild disturbance of the nest.

Construction Behavior

Nest-building: Shaping or lining sleeping area with nonfood items or inedible parts of prey (e.g., hair or insect wings)

Digging: Tunneling through substrate. Method described by Rood (1958)

Gnawing: Using teeth at solid nonfood items

Clawing: Using claws of forefeet at solid nonfood items

Reproductive Behavior

Chitter: Clicking sound made by male while pursuing female during courtship (Pearson, 1944)

Ventral rub: Rubbing of ventrum on substrate; probable scent deposit (see Pearson, 1946, for description of probable scent glands). Gould (1969) noted this behavior pattern during courtship while Platt (1976) noted the rub during probable threat situations.

Mounting: Male mounts rear of female (Pearson, 1944)

Passive receptivity: If female is receptive, she turns her back on male and waits (Pearson, 1944)

Copulation: Male mounts female while grabbing the fur on back of her neck or shoulders and clasping her lumbar region between his front legs. Occurs with intromission followed by the male rapidly vibrating his pelvic area and thrusting (Pearson, 1944)

Coupling: Male and female become locked together after thrust. Male may dismount but still remains coupled. Female may tow male behind her, the male going backwards (Pearson, 1944)

Penis retraction: The male uses his mouth to retract the glans penis into the sheath (Pearson, 1944)