Opossums, Shrews and Moles of British Columbia

by Nagorsen, David

• ISBN13: 9780774805636
• ISBN10: 0774805633
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-06-15
• Publisher: The Royal British Columbia Museum

Summary

British Columbia has the greatest diversity of insectivores (shrews and moles) of any Canadian province: 12 species in all. In some habitats, insectivores are the dominant mammals; but humans rarely notice them, except when the family cat brings in a shrew or when molehills appear in our gardens or golf courses. Even naturalists are largely unfamiliar with these mammals. Our only marsupial, the North American Opossum, is native to eastern North America and was only recently introduced to British Columbia. In Opossums, Shrews and Moles of British Columbia, David Ngorsen presents a comprehensive summary of the most up-to-date information on these intriguing mammals. He provides general information on their biology, including ecology, diet, anatomy, relations with humans and conservation. He also describes each species, including their identifying characteristics, and discusses their natural history and taxonomy. Each account is accompanied by illustrations and a provincial range map. This is the second in a series of six handbooks on the mammals of British Columbia.

Author Biography

David W. Nagorsen is Curator of Mammalogy at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 1
General Biology of Opossums	p. 3
General Biology of Insectivores	p. 6
Form and Structure	p. 8
Food Habits	p. 15
Insectivores in British Columbia	p. 19
Habitat and Community Ecology	p. 28
Reproduction, Development of the Young and Longevity	p. 31
Conserving Energy and Winter Survival	p. 35
Relations with Humans	p. 38
Conservation	p. 41
Studying Insectivores	p. 45
Taxonomy and Nomenclature	p. 48
Checklist	p. 51
Identification Keys	p. 52
Key to Whole Animals	p. 53
Key to Skulls	p. 59
Species Accounts	p. 64
North American Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)	p. 67
Black-backed Shrew (Sorex arcticus)	p. 74
Pacific Water Shrew (Sorex bendirii)	p. 79
Common Shrew (Sorex cinereus)	p. 85
Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi)	p. 90
Dusky Shrew (Sorex monticolus)	p. 95
Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)	p. 101
Trowbridge's Shrew (Sorex trowbridgii)	p. 108
Tundra Shrew (Sorex undrensis)	p. 113
Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans)	p. 118
Shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii)	p. 124
Coast Mole (Scapanus orarius)	p. 130
Townsend's Mole (Scapanus townsendii)	p. 135
Appendix 1: Selected Body Measurements and Weights of British Columbian Insectivores	p. 141
Appendix 2: Scientific Names of Plant and Animal Species Mentioned in this Book	p. 142
Glossary	p. 145
References	p. 149
Acknowledgements	p. 163
Index	p. 165
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.