Cinereus shrews, also called masked shrews, live in moist leaf litter, moss, and ground cover across Rhode Island’s forests and wetland margins. Arcadia, Diamond Hill, and George Washington management areas provide the cool, cluttered forest floor they need, but most animals remain hidden in tunnels beneath leaves and logs.
Records occur year-round and peak in May and from July through August. A tiny, quick mammal with a sharply pointed snout may be this species, but shrews are difficult to identify from a passing view. Leave logs and rocks in place rather than dismantling their shelter to search for one.
Full species profile
