BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Sorex rohweri
Olympic Shrew
| Scientific Name: | Sorex rohweri Rausch, Feagin and Rausch, 2007 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Name: | Olympic Shrew | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Rausch, R. L., J. E. Feagin, and V. R. Rausch. 2007. Sorex rohweri sp. nov. (Mammalia, Soricidae) from northwestern North America. Mammalian Biology 72:93-105. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | M-SORO | ||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G4G5 (May 2007) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S2 (Jan 2024) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Red | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | |||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Subspecies Comments: | No subspecies are recognized. According to the range map in Rausch et al. (2007), the BC population appears to be highly disjunct from the nearest populations in Washington. | ||||||||||
| Identification Comments: | Morphologically most closley resembles the Common Shrew (Sorex cinereus) and Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans). No identification keys exist that include this species but diagnostic identification traits were given in Rauch et al. (2007). Differs from S. cinereus in the number of toe pads on the middle digits of the hind feet and in several cranial dental traits. Differs from S. vagrans in the number of toe pads on the middle digits of the hind feet and dental cranial traits. Nagorsen (2007) concluded that S. rohweri can only be positively identified from skulls of voucher specimens and noted that some museum specimens from the lower mainland originally identified on their tags as S. cinereus or S. vagrans were S. rohweri. S. rohweri is strongly divegent in mtDNA sequences from S. cinereus and S. vagrans and a non-destructive sampling method to obtain DNA from live captures needs to be developed. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Reproduction Comments: | A pregnant female captured 10 May in Burns Bog had 5 embryos. No reproductive data were given by Rausch et al. (2007) for Washington. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Ecology Comments: | Other than incidental data on habitat and elevation recorded for museum specimens or recent captures, no ecological data exist for this species in BC. | ||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
|
Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
/ Y / N / N na / N |
||||||||||
| Provincial Mobility & Migration Comments: | Nothing is known about the home range size and shape, daily movements, or dispersal movements of this species in any part of its range. | ||||||||||
| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Forest / Mixed Forest (deciduous/coniferous mix) / Facultative - frequent use
Riparian / Gravel Bar / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Herbaceous / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Shrub / Facultative - frequent use |
||||||||||
| Provincial Habitat Comments: | No habitat studies have been done on this species in BC. Based on habitat data for recent (since 1990) opportunistic captures in BC (Zuleta and Galindo-Leal 1994; Fraker et al. 1999; Roberston Environmental Services 2006), this shrew has been found in mixed deciduous forest of red alder, birch, Sitka spruce, western hemlock; Sitka spruce-western hemlock forest; lodgepole pine forest; and in canary grass bordering a ditch ~15 m from a mixed forest (Nagorsen 2007). This suggests that S. rohweri is associated with forest habitats of various seral stages as the capture sites are either in coniferous or mixed forests or in close proximity to forested habitats (Nagorsen and Panter 2009). According to Robert Rausch (pers. comm.), in Washington S. rohweri is a "a forest dependent species-in old growth or second growth forest". | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: | |||||||||||
| Global Food Habits Comments: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Food Habits Comments: | No dietary data exist for BC or Washington. | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
Jan: Active / Active
Feb: Active / Active Mar: Active / Active Apr: Active / Active May: Active / Active June: Active / Active July: Active / Active Aug: Active / Active Sept: Active / Active Oct: Active / Active Nov: Active / Active Dec: Active / Active |
||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology Comments: | Similar to other species in the genus Sorex, S. rohweri would be expected to be incapable of entering daily or extended torpor and remain active throughout the year (McNab 1991). | ||||||||||
| Colonial Breeder: | |||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | / / | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: 0 / 700 |
||||||||||
| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | Nagorsen, D. | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Mar 14, 2008 | ||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
Fraker, M., C. Bianchini, and I. Robertson. 1999. Burns Bog ecosystem review: small mammals. Robertson Environ. Serv. Ltd., Langley, BC. 58pp. |
|||||||||||
McNab, B. K. 1991. The energy expenditure of shrews. Pages 35-45. in: J. S. Findley, T. L. Yates, (eds). The biology of the Soricidae. The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. |
|||||||||||
Nagorsen, D. and N. Panter. 2024. Shrews and Moles of British Columbia. Second Edition. Royal BC Museum Handbook. 239 pp. |
|||||||||||
Nagorsen, D.W. 2007. Status of Rohwer's Shrew (Sorex rohweri) in British Columbia. Report submitted to BC Ministry of Transportation and Hemmera Consulting. 11 pp. |
|||||||||||
Nagorsen, D.W. and N. Panter. 2009. Identification and status of the Olympic Shrew (Sorex rohweri) in British Columbia. Northwestern Naturalist 90:117-129. |
|||||||||||
Rausch, R.L., J.E. Feagin and V.R. Rausch. 2007. Sorex rohweri sp. nov. (Mammalia, Soricidae) from northwestern North America. J. Mamm. Biol. 72:93-105. |
|||||||||||
Robertson Environmental Services. 2006. South Fraser Perimeter Road. Vegetation and wildlife impact assessment. Technical Volume 12 of the Environmental Assessment Application. Prepared for the BC Ministry of Transportation, 254 pp. |
|||||||||||
Zuleta, G.A., and C. Galindo-Leal. 1994. Distribution and abundance of four species of small mammals at risk in a fragmented landscape. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch. Working Rep. WR-64. Victoria, British Columbia. 80pp. |
|||||||||||
Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Sorex rohweri. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 7, 2026).