The cinereus shrew is one of the better-documented small mammals in Wyoming’s high country, with more than 500 records concentrated in Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and the forested slopes of the Bridger-Teton. Only one of those came from iNaturalist, though, which fits an animal barely bigger than a thumb that spends its life buried in leaf litter and moss rather than posing for photos.
Most of what’s known here comes from small-mammal trapping surveys, and that shows in the numbers: reports peak hard in July, which tracks when field crews are out working rather than any burst of shrew activity, since this species hunts nonstop day and night, all year, even tunneling under snow through winter instead of hibernating. NatureServe ranks it secure in Wyoming (S5), the healthiest possible state status, matching its wide range across the Rockies and beyond.
Full species profile
