Maryland mammals

Masked Shrew in Maryland

Sorex cinereus

Native to Maryland S5 Secure in Maryland

Not listed as nonindigenous in Maryland by USGS NAS; native to its Maryland range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 1Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 2Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 3Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 4Sorex cinereus, Billings National Historical Park, Woodstock, Vermont, USA 1Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus)
Photo: rpoort · CC BY 4.0Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 1Photo: rpoort · CC BY 4.0Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 2Photo: rpoort · CC BY 4.0Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 3Photo: rpoort · CC BY 4.0Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 4Photo: er-birds · CC BY 4.0Sorex cinereus, Billings National Historical Park, Woodstock, Vermont, USA 1Photo: Sean Frey · CC BY 4.0Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus)

Masked Shrew in Maryland, by the numbers

Common in Maryland 34th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in Maryland

63 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

63 total records count every Maryland occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 62; the monthly chart covers the 61 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Masked Shrew in Maryland

Most sightings fall in February.

61 Maryland occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Maryland records (table)
MonthRecords
January2
February14
March5
April14
May3
June3
July3
August3
September6
October3
November4
December1

Monthly masked shrew occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Maryland, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Maryland, with recorded sightings peaking in February, with a smaller rise in April.

Occurrence map

Where Masked Shrew has been recorded in Maryland

62 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

62 Maryland records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area 1

Protected places with the most masked shrew sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Maryland

CountyRecords
Dorchester County 15
Baltimore County 14
Prince George's County 11
Howard County 5
Harford County 3
Allegany County 3
Montgomery County 2
Garrett County 2
Charles County 2
Queen Anne's County 2
Frederick County 1
Washington County 1
Cecil County 1
Other localities 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 13 Maryland counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Cinereus shrew records in Maryland cluster along the C&O Canal corridor and Patuxent Research Refuge, damp leaf litter and streamside habitat this tiny, high-metabolism insectivore needs to find food constantly through the day and night. As North America’s most widespread shrew, its Maryland numbers are modest simply because a mouse-sized animal that never suns itself is hard to detect.

Records rise in April and again in September, likely tracking spring and fall trapping-survey effort more than the shrew’s own activity, since it forages year-round regardless of season. NatureServe ranks the species S5, Secure, statewide.

Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 1
Full species profile Masked Shrew Sorex cinereus Size 6.9 cm2.7 in Weight 5 g0.2 oz Lifespan Up to 2.5 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Maryland in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"