Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris Bachman 1837

Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris Bachman 1837, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 7: 370.

Type Locality: USA, "in the swamps of Santee [River], South Carolina "; restricted to Hume Plantation (Cat Isl in the mouth of Santee River) by Jackson (1928:85).

Vernacular Names: Southeastern Shrew.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris subsp. longirostris Bachman 1837

Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris subsp. eonis Davis 1957

Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris subsp. fisheri Merriam 1895

Distribution: SE USA, Florida west to Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana; Virginia and N Carolina.

Conservation: U.S. ESA – Delisted Taxon as S. l. fisheri; IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Subgenus Otisorex, S. cinereus species group (Demboski and Cook, 2003). As pointed out by Junge and Hoffmann (1981), this species is inappropriately named because it has one of the shortest rostra of North American Sorex . Junge and Hoffmann (1981) also suggested that shrews of the Great Dismal Swamp described as fisheri and traditionally included in longirostris as a subspecies are much larger and may represent a valid species. Reviewed by French (1980, Mammalian Species No. 143). Part of range mapped in detail by Pagels and Handley (1989) and Pagels et al. (1982).