Ecological Distribution of Shrews in the Cumberland Plateau of Alabama

Abstract

Shrews are small mammals that often occur in sympatry with other species of shrews. This suggests some form of resource partitioning is occurring. I examined eight habitats in Jackson County, Alabama, and detected evidence of habitat partitioning by shrews in pine forests, mixed forests with liana undergrowth, and deciduous riparian zones. Also, I discovered that I was 11 times more likely to capture a shrew on a night with rainfall than on a night with clear skies. Habitat segregation and increased activity on rainy nights should both be considered when researchers attempt to capture shrews in the field.