American short-tailed shrew
The genus Blarina is a group of relatively large shrews with relatively short tails found in North America. They have 32 teeth and are in the red-toothed shrew subfamily.
They generally have dark fur and thick feet. The saliva of these animals is toxic and is used to subdue prey.
The list of species is:
- Northern short-tailed shrew B. brevicauda
- Southern short-tailed shrew B. carolinensis
- Elliot's short-tailed shrew B. hylophaga
- Everglades short-tailed shrew B. peninsulae
Ecoepidemiology
Short-tailed shrews are one of the animal-reservoirs of the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis.
