A comparative study of certain trigeminal components in two soricid shrews, Blarina brevicauda and Sorex cinereus

1957 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Baskerville Hyde
1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1432-1437 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. Sekgororoane ◽  
T. G. Dilworth

To determine whether small mammals show "edge effect" at induced forest edges created by harvest cutting, small mammals were snap-trapped from 1990 to 1992 at 5 sites harvested 0–10 years previously in the University of New Brunswick Forest, Fredericton. Nine species were captured in 8686 trap-nights. There was edge effect in older (6–10 years) but not in recent (0–5 years) cuts. This was shown by both high relative abundance for all species combined and species diversity in the ecotone (from 10 m into the harvest cut to 10 m into the forest). Species richness did not show any edge-related pattern. Edge effect with respect to relative abundance was largely due to Peromyscus maniculatus and Clethrionomys gapperi. Peromyscus maniculatus reached the highest relative abundance 10 m in the forest and was not captured beyond 10 m in the harvest cut. Clethrionomys gapperi made use of the forest side of the ecotone and was not captured beyond 5 m in the harvest cut. Napaeozapus insignis, Zapus hudsonius, and Soricidae (Blarina brevicauda, Sorex cinereus, and S. fumeus) showed no attraction to, or avoidance of, the edge.


1979 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwin D. Wittrock ◽  
Gary L. Hendrickson

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 594-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Raymond ◽  
Jean-Marie Bergeron ◽  
Yves Plante

Variations in the diet of the ermin (Mustela erminea) were studied from 1978 to 1980 in relation to the relative availability of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), the dominant mammal of Southern Quebec agrosystems. The analysis of 328 ermine scat samples showed that the vole does constitute the main prey item, but that the masked shrew (Sorex cinereus), the short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda), and various birds are also important food components. Male ermins have more flexible feeding habits than females, who eat mostly meadow voles whatever their relative abundance. Both males and females fail to make full use of the shrews and avoid prey that weigh more than 50 g. Overlap of their realized alimentary niches is thus considerable except when small mammals are scarce. In that case, males and females use different feeding strategies; however, the hypothesis suggested by J. H. Brown and R. C. Lasiewsky (1972. Ecology, 53: 939–943) does not seem to be confirmed. The evolution of size dimorphism in this small mustelid is discussed; our results confirm the intra-sexual selection hypothesis proposed independantly by S. Erlinge (1979. Oikos, 33: 233–245) and P. J. Moors (1980. Oikos, 34: 147–158).[Journal translation]


1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 2787-2797 ◽  
Author(s):  
John O. Whitaker Jr ◽  
Thomas W. French

Ectoparasites and other associates were examined from seven species of insectivores and nine species of rodents from Mount Carleton Provincial Park, New Brunswick. The most abundant forms found were (at least 2.0 per host individual) the following: Orycteroxenus soricis and Amorphacarus hengererorum on Sorex cinereus and on Sorex (Microsorex) hoyi; A. hengererorum and O. soricis on Sorex fumeus; O. soricis, Miyatrombicula esoensis, and Ixodes angustus on Sorex gaspensis; O. soricis, I. angustus, Pygmephorus horridus, and Protomyobia americana on Blarina brevicauda; M. esoensis, Protomyobia claparedei, and Glycyphagus hypudaei on Sorex palustris; Orycteroxenus canadensis, O. soricis, P. horridus, G. hypudaei, Ctenophthalmus pseudagyrtes, and Haemogamasus ambulans on Condylura cristata. More abundant ectoparasites of the rodents were as follows: G. hypudaei, Listrophorus mexicanus, M. esoensis, Neotrombicula harperi, and Radfordia lemnina on Clethrionomys gapperi; G. hypudaei, L. mexicanus, M. esoensis, N. harperi, and Laelaps kochi on Microtus chrotorrhinus; L. mexicanus, G. hypudaei, Radfordia hylandi, Laelaps alaskensis, M. esoensis, Polyplax alaskensis, L. kochi, N. harperi, and Myocoptes j. japonensis on Microtus pennsylvanicus; Listrophorus synaptomys, Hoplopleura acanthopus, L. alaskensis, G. hypudaei, M. esoensis, I. angustus, R. hylandi, and N. harperi on Synaptomys cooperi; all of these except the last one on Synaptomys borealis; M. esoensis on Peromyscus maniculatus; Dermacarus newyorkensis on Zapus hudsonius; D. newyorkensis, N. harperi, Radfordia ewingi, and G. hypudaei on Napaeozapus insignis; Dermacarus hylandi, N. harperi, Megabothris acerbus, and M. esoensis on Tamias striatus.


1955 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 404-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Holling

Caged Sorex cinereus cinereus Kerr, Blarina brevicauda talpoides Gapper, and Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii Hoy and Kenicott opened more cocoons containing healthy, living sawfly prepupae than ones containing prepupae attacked by fungus. In the field and in the laboratory, S.c.cinereus opened more healthy cocoons than cocoons containing parasites. The reverse appeared to be true for B.b.talpoides. P.m.bairdii opened equal numbers of healthy and parasitized cocoons. The more insectivorous animals exhibited the greatest selective ability. Pretreatment to cocoons of one category affected the selective ability. Pretreating P.m.bairdii to fungus cocoons lowered the ability to select healthy cocoons over fungus cocoons. Pretreating animals to healthy cocoons raised the selective ability. Selection occurred in the digging, removing, opening, and eating phases in the search for cocoons. The closer the phase to the consummatory action, the greater was the degree of selection. The selective ability in the first three phases was acquired with experience. In the final, eating, phase it was innate.


1958 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Holling

The stimuli responsible for the location and selection of healthy vs. parasitized and diseased sawfly prepupae by Peromyscus maniculalus bairdii Hoy and Kenicott, Sorex cinereus cinereus Kerr, and Blarina brevicauda talpoides Gapper were determined in all phases of the search for buried food. Only olfactory stimuli were involved in the digging, removing, and opening phases, while gustatory stimuli played a part in selection in the eating phase. There were innate preferences and a versions to the gustatory stimuli, but not to the olfactory stimuli. It was only with experience that the animals were able to associate odors from cocoons with the taste of the cocoon contents.The selection of healthy male vs. female cocooned prepupae was also studied. In the digging phase all species dug more holes over the larger female cocoons than over the smaller male cocoons. This selection was not affected by experience and was caused by differences in degree and not kind of odor. In the removing and opening phases S. c. cinereus and P. m. bairdii removed and opened more male than female cocoons, while B. b. talpoides removed and opened more female cocoons. This selection was affected by experience and probably resulted from differences in visual or tactile stimuli. The larger the mammal the greater was the selection for female cocoons.


1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
John O. Whitaker Jr. ◽  
Thomas W. French

Major foods of six species of sympatric shrews from Sagamook Mountain. New Brunswick, in order of importance by percentage of total volume were Blarina brevicauda: earthworms, slugs and snails, and insect larvae; Sorex palustris: insect larvae, spiders, slugs and snails, and flies; Sorex gaspensis: insect larvae, spiders, flies, and beetles; Sorex fumeus: insect larvae, earthworms, and moths; Sorex cinereus: insect larvae and spiders; Sorex hoyi: insect larvae, beetles, and spiders. These rather striking differences in the diets of the various species of shrews in this study suggest that the food resources were being differentially exploited.


1964 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H. Buckner

The metabolic rates of Sorex cinereus, Sorex arcticus, Microsorex hoyi, and Blarina brevicauda were calculated from oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and urinary nitrogen excretion and found to be 6.1, 6.9, 67, and 9.7 Calories per animal per day respectively. The resting rate of oxygen consumption was lower for S. cinereus than values reported by previous authors and was probably close to the basal level. Respiratory quotients were higher than expected for carnivorous animals, averaging 0.83 for all species. Protein catabolism accounted for about half the daily caloric output. Metabolic rate increased with increasing population densities.The minimum numbers of larch sawfly eonymphs required to support the daily metabolic requirements, including fecal wastage, for S. cinereus, S. arcticus, M. hoyi, and B. brevicauda were 87, 123, 98, and 150 respectively. Because of digestive inefficiency and wasteful feeding habits the approximate numbers of eonymphs destroyed daily could be as high as 663, 570, 711, and 150, and if hoarding is considered, 833, 790, 891, and 410 respectively could be taken. Excepting B. brevicauda, the larch sawfly is a preferred food of the group and, when available in abundance, comprises over 70% of the diet. It was estimated that shrews have the capacity to consume numbers of cocoons in excess of naturally occurring populations, but the likelihood of complete destruction of populations is remote. Of the species studied, S. cinereus appeared to be the most likely to provide effective control of larch sawfly populations.


1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 865-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Racey ◽  
D. L. Euler

Changes in small mammal abundance and habitat caused by shoreline cottage development in central Ontario were studied in the summers of 1978 and 1979. This development significantly altered the vegetation composition and structure in the vicinity of cottages. These alterations, in turn, had an impact on small mammal abundance. These animals were classified in three response categories: tolerant (existing, at some level, regardless of degree of development), intolerant (extirpated at high levels of development), and indifferent to development. Tolerant species were the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda), and deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus); intolerant species were the masked shrew (Sorex cinereus), red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi), and woodland jumping mouse (Napeozapus insignis). The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) was indifferent to development. Small mammal diversity was highest on mixed shorelines at moderate levels of development. Species diversity appeared to respond positively to vegetative composition, edge effect, and irregularity of habitat. These characteristics were all dependent on the level of cottage development.


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