Mammals
Northern Short-Tailed Shrew
Blarina brevicauda · also called short-tailed shrew
Tucking a paralysed but still-living insect into an underground cache for later, a northern short-tailed shrew stocks a living pantry using one of the strangest hunting strategies found in any North American mammal, made possible by a venomous bite.
Overview
The northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, is a venomous, secretive insectivore native to forest and grassland habitat across eastern North America. Its paralysing venomous bite used to subdue and store prey alive, status as one of the most common yet rarely seen shrew species in its range, and compact short-tailed body shape make it one of the most behaviourally unusual small mammals found anywhere in North America.
A living pantry underground
Rather than eating every meal immediately, the northern short-tailed shrew’s venomous bite lets it paralyse extra prey and stash it away alive underground, a genuinely unusual food-storage strategy that few other predators, mammal or otherwise, are equipped to pull off.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and abundant across suitable forest and grassland habitat throughout eastern North America.
Northern Short-Tailed Shrew: common questions
Is the northern short-tailed shrew venomous?
Yes, this species is one of North America's few venomous mammals, delivering a paralysing toxin through its bite that can immobilise prey without necessarily killing it outright, an unusual hunting strategy among mammals.
Why does the northern short-tailed shrew store live prey?
This species sometimes stores paralysed but still-living prey in underground caches, effectively creating a living pantry of food that stays fresh until it is needed, a strategy made possible by its venomous bite immobilising rather than killing its victims outright.
How did the northern short-tailed shrew get its name?
This species has a notably short tail relative to its body size compared with many other shrew species, a distinguishing feature that gives rise to its common name and helps separate it from longer-tailed shrew relatives.
Is the northern short-tailed shrew easy to spot in the wild?
No, despite being considered one of the most common and widespread shrew species across eastern North America, this species is rarely seen due to its secretive, largely subterranean habits, spending much of its time beneath leaf litter and soil.