Nebraska mammals

North American Least Shrew in Nebraska

Cryptotis parvus

Native to Nebraska S4 Apparently Secure in Nebraska

Not listed as nonindigenous in Nebraska by USGS NAS; native to its 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.

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 Nebraska, by the numbers

Occasional in Nebraska 58th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

14 occurrence records
7 with iNaturalist photos
Apr 7, 2026 Last seen in Nebraska

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the North American Least Shrew in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in September to October.

14 Nebraska occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Nebraska records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February0
March0
April1
May1
June0
July2
August1
September3
October5
November1
December0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Nebraska, with recorded sightings peaking in September–October.

Occurrence map

Where North American Least Shrew has been recorded in Nebraska

14 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

14 Nebraska records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Homestead National Historical Park 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 Nebraska

CountyRecords
Gage County 4
Banner County 3
Lancaster County 2
Scotts Bluff County 1
Nemaha County 1
Harlan County 1
Dawes County 1
Buffalo County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 8 Nebraska counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

North American least shrews carry a NatureServe S4 apparently secure rank in Nebraska, and the state has only 14 records of this tiny shrew, 13 carried by GBIF and 7 by iNaturalist, a small set for an animal that’s far more often caught in a trap than spotted.

October holds 5 of those records and September 3, with no other month above 2, a fall lean that’s too slight on 14 records to read as a real seasonal surge, since this shrew stays active year-round without hibernating.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

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 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
  • 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"