Maryland mammals

North American Least Shrew in Maryland

Cryptotis parvus

Native to Maryland S4 Apparently 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.

North American least shrew moving through short grassNorth American least shrew on exposed soilNorth American least shrew in dry grass
Photo: Lauren McLaurin · CC-BYNorth American least shrew moving through short grassPhoto: Dan Johnson · CC-BYSide view of a least shrew with the compact body and pointed snout visible.Photo: novvictan · CC-BYDark-backed least shrew partly hidden in thatch-like ground cover.

North American Least Shrew in Maryland, by the numbers

Common in Maryland 28th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in Maryland

147 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the North American Least Shrew in Maryland

Most sightings fall in September.

147 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
January9
February5
March5
April5
May6
June1
July7
August4
September83
October13
November5
December4

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Maryland, with recorded sightings peaking in September.

Occurrence map

Where North American Least Shrew has been recorded in Maryland

147 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

147 Maryland records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Assateague Island National Seashore 9
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park 2
Antietam National Battlefield 1

Protected places with the most north american least 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 114
Worcester County 9
Charles County 4
Frederick County 3
Harford County 3
St. Mary's County 2
Prince George's County 2
Kent County 1
Somerset County 1
Allegany County 1
Cecil County 1
Queen Anne's County 1
4 other counties 5

The complete county distribution, spread across 16 Maryland counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

North American least shrew is one of the smallest mammals in the eastern United States, and its Maryland records near Blackwater, Eastern Neck, and Assateague Island reflect grassy, moist habitat this social shrew shares in small nest groups, unusual behavior for an otherwise solitary family of animals. NatureServe ranks the species S4, Apparently Secure, statewide.

Records spike sharply in September, with far fewer logged the rest of the year, a pattern that likely reflects a single concentrated survey effort more than any true late-summer activity surge.

North American least shrew moving through short grass
Full species profile North American Least Shrew Cryptotis parvus Size 5–8 cm2–3.1 in Weight 6 g0.2 oz Lifespan Up to 3.5 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"