The Northern Short-tailed Shrew is one of the few venomous mammals in North America, producing toxic saliva in modified salivary glands that can immobilize small prey. It is a powerfully built, steel-gray shrew with tiny, nearly concealed eyes and a very short tail. Its musk glands produce an odor strong enough to make it unpalatable to many predators.
Best time to see a Northern Short-tailed Shrew
The best time to see a Northern Short-tailed Shrew is April–September, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 11,536 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Northern Short-tailed Shrew sightings near you
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