Mt. Lyell Shrew
Distribution, Abundance, and Seasonality
The Mt. Lyell shrew has been found in only a few locations in the vicinity of Mt. Lyell, within or near Yosemite National Park (Ingles 1965) in the Sierra Nevada. Grinnell and Storer (1924) indicated that 3 specimens were found in moist situations near streams, in grass, or under willows. In all, only 5 specimens have been reported, all prior to 1924. Two more were apparently collected in 1946. Information on the current distribution, status, and habitat association of the species is needed.
Range Map
Specific Habitat Requirements
Feeding: Probably eats insects and other invertebrates found while foraging on ground, in stumps, and in logs (Grinnell and Storer 1924, Ingles 1965).
Cover: Uses logs, stumps and other surface objects for cover (Grinnell and Storer 1924). Found in grass or under stream-side willows (Ingles 1965).
Reproduction: No data found.
Water: Requires moist soil; lives in riparian sites (Ingles 1965).
Pattern: No data found.
Species Life History
Activity Patterns: No data found. Presumed active yearlong.
Seasonal Movements / Migration: None documented; a yearlong resident in its restricted range.
Home Range: No data found.
Territory: No data found.
Reproduction: No data found. Young probably born May to August, 2-6 per litter, naked at birth. Few shrews survive a second winter.
Niche: Predators of shrews in general include owls, Steller's jays, and trout (Ingles 1965).
Comments: Comments: No published studies of the species found. Closely related to the masked shrew (Sorex cinereus); habits probably similar to dusky shrew.
Sources & References
California Department of Fish and Game, 1999.
California's Wildlife, Sacramento, CA.
Written by: V. Johnson, reviewed by: H. Shellhammer, edited by: R. Duke
Grinnell, J., and T. I. Storer. 1924. Animal life in the Yosemite. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 752pp.
Ingles, L. G. 1965. Mammals of the Pacific states. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, CA. 506pp.
California Animal Facts | California's Wildlife