Least Shrews in North-Central Kansas: Habitat and Individual Characteristics

We captured least shrews (Cryptotis parva; n = 16) in native grassland, anthropogenic and woody habitats in north-central Kansas. Total effort was ca. 100,000 trap nights [TN] in >200 herbaceous sites and ca. 20,000 TN in >20 shrubby and woody sites. Least shrews were rare in both habitat types but slightly more abundant in herbaceous (ca. 0.15 individuals/1,000 TN) than woody sites (ca. 0.05 individuals/1,000 TN). We captured 15 least shrews in grazed native mixed grass prairie, post-harvest wheat fields and fallow wheat fields combined as well as one in a shelterbelt of deciduous trees. Body mass ranged from 2.6 g–6.0 g; body length explained ∼55% of the variation in body mass. Two pregnant females (4.9–5.0 g) were trapped; a litter size of five was observed for the one necropsied female. Finally, we document the first occurrence of the least shrew in Lincoln County, Kansas.