Vermont mammals

Masked Shrew in Vermont

Sorex cinereus

Native to Vermont S5 Secure in Vermont

Not listed as nonindigenous in Vermont by USGS NAS; native to its Vermont 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 Vermont, by the numbers

Occasional in Vermont 27th most recorded of 65 mammals logged in Vermont

228 occurrence records
52 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 27, 2026 Last seen in Vermont

Records from 2000–2026.

228 total records count every Vermont occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 227 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Masked Shrew in Vermont

Most sightings fall in July to September.

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

Monthly Vermont records (table)
MonthRecords
January2
February1
March1
April19
May9
June26
July44
August40
September54
October25
November2
December4

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Vermont, with recorded sightings peaking in July–September.

Occurrence map

Where Masked Shrew has been recorded in Vermont

228 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

228 Vermont records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Green Mountains 1
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 1
Wenlock Wildlife Management Area 1
Hazens Notch State Park 1
Green Mountain National Forest 1
Camels Hump State Park 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 Vermont

CountyRecords
Windsor County 147
Washington County 20
Rutland County 15
Lamoille County 11
Orleans County 8
Orange County 5
Chittenden County 5
Addison County 5
Caledonia County 4
Windham County 3
Essex County 2
Franklin County 2
Bennington County 1

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

Cinereus shrews live in moist leaf litter, moss, and downed wood across Vermont’s forests, including high, cool sites around Camel’s Hump and Mount Mansfield. Their tiny size and secretive habits make deliberate sightings unusual; brief glimpses along damp trails or incidental track-tunnel patterns in snow are more realistic.

Records occur year-round and peak from July through October. Do not turn apart logs or litter to find shrews, as doing so damages the moist shelter and invertebrate habitat they depend on.

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 Vermont 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"