Notiosorex crawfordi
desert shrew

Notiosorex crawfordi ranges from southern California east through eastern Arizona and from southern Colorado to the western edges of Texas and Arkansas. The shrew also ranges into the northern deserts of Central America.

Desert shrews are found in arid areas but are not restricted to any particular habitat. Specimens have been taken in cattail marshes, in beehives, wood rat nests, among yuccas, under piles of cornstalks, and beneath piles of refuse and brush left by people. The shrew lives in elevations as high as 6,300 ft. At lower elevations the shrew will be found in humid microclimates such as in burrows or under rocks.

Notiosorex crawfordi is a small shrew averaging 81 mm in length. The tail is greater than twice the lenth of the hind feet. The body has gray fur with some highlights of brown above. The underside is pale and gray. Sometimes this shrew can be pale and ashy in color. The tail is long and the ears are more noticable than on other shrews. The dental formula of the desert shrew is I 3/2, C 1/0, Pm 1/1, M 3/3. This is the only shrew in North America with 3 cheek teeth that have only one cusp on each tooth.

The shrew is an aggressive hunter and very active. Notiosorex crawfordi is hunted by owls and tends to remain in areas that can provide some form of cover or escape. This species attempts to avoid large organisms if possible. Unlike other shrews, the desert shew does not burrow though it will use the burrows of other animals.

Desert shrews are capable of entering a state of totpor. By doing this they are able to save energy and are capable of lowering their quantity of food needed to survive.

Due to a fast metabolic rate the shrew is an aggressive hunter and very active. A captive shrew eats about 75% of its body weight each day. In the desert shrews consume large quantities of invertebrates including worms, spiders, insects and possibly small mammals, lizards, or birds whenever able to catch them. For the most part this shrew feeds on insect larve and adults. Notiosorex crawfordi is common near water and is known to drink, but it is also capable of obtaining water from its prey.

Shrew help control some of the invertebrates that are considered to be pests in agriculture and to people in general.

Notiosorex crawfordi live in a habitat that has become a place for human recreation. Off-road vehicles, camping, along with other activities and the refuse that individuals leave behind have an impact on the shrew. The degregation of the habitat may cause these animals to become threatened. Mexico has listed this species as threatened.