Nebraska mammals

Masked Shrew in Nebraska

Sorex cinereus

Native to Nebraska

Not listed as nonindigenous in Nebraska by USGS NAS; treated as native to its mapped Nebraska 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 Nebraska, by the numbers

Occasional in Nebraska 38th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

39 occurrence records
12 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 6, 2026 Last seen in Nebraska

Records from 2000–2026.

39 total records count every Nebraska occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 38; the monthly chart covers the 38 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Masked Shrew in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in May.

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

Monthly Nebraska records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February0
March0
April1
May11
June5
July11
August3
September3
October3
November1
December0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Nebraska, with recorded sightings peaking in May, with a smaller rise in July.

Occurrence map

Where Masked Shrew has been recorded in Nebraska

38 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

38 Nebraska records mapped

Where it's recorded in Nebraska

CountyRecords
Garden County 9
Gage County 9
Scotts Bluff County 7
Lancaster County 4
Sarpy County 3
Douglas County 2
Nemaha County 1
Buffalo County 1
Dawson County 1
Other localities 2

The complete county distribution, spread across 9 Nebraska counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Cinereus shrews, also called masked shrews, have no NatureServe state rank on file in Nebraska, and the record leans overwhelmingly on GBIF specimen data (33 of the state’s 39 records) rather than casual photographs, since this tiny, secretive shrew is far more often caught in a trap than spotted.

May and July lead with 11 records each, together more than half the year’s total, a pattern that plausibly reflects summer trapping surveys rather than any real seasonal surge in shrew activity, since this species stays active year-round and doesn’t hibernate.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

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 Nebraska 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
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries