Head to head
Masked Shrew vs Arctic Shrew
The masked shrew and arctic shrew are both cold-tolerant North American shrews with wide ranges, but their distribution and appearance set them apart.
| Masked Shrew | Arctic Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sorex cinereus | Sorex arcticus |
| Range breadth | Most widely distributed shrew in North America | More specifically boreal |
| Coat pattern | Fairly uniform | Tricoloured, dark saddle down the back |
| Name accuracy | Not especially notable | Overstates how far north it lives |
| Climate tolerance | Arctic tundra to temperate forest | Cold boreal forest and grassland |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Habitat | Forest, grassland | Forest, grassland |
Masked Shrew vs Arctic Shrew: common questions
Which shrew has the wider range, the masked shrew or the arctic shrew?
The masked shrew has the wider range, being the most widely distributed shrew species found across the entirety of North America, while the arctic shrew has a more specifically northern, boreal-forest distribution despite its name suggesting an even more extreme range.
Does the arctic shrew actually live in the Arctic?
Not entirely, since this species is found across much of its range well south of the true polar Arctic, with its common name instead reflecting its association with cold boreal habitat rather than genuine polar tundra, unlike the masked shrew's name, which makes no such specific claim.
How can you tell a masked shrew from an arctic shrew?
The arctic shrew has a distinctive tricoloured coat with a dark saddle running down the back that fades into paler sides and belly, a pattern more pronounced than the fairly uniform colouring typically seen on the masked shrew.