Diet items and ectoparasites were identified from 15 southern short-tailed shrews (Blarina carolinensis) captured during a one-year study (December 2009—November 2010). Twenty different diet items were found in 13 southern short-tailed shrews. Collectively, insects made up the bulk of these shrews' diet (92%), with Diptera and Hymenoptera being most prevalent. Plant material and arachnids occurred 46% of the time. Six of the diet items identified are new reports for the southern short-tailed shrew. Nine ectoparasite species were collected from 11 of the southern short-tailed shrews, comprising 8 species of mites and one species of tick. Orycteroxenus soricis and Androlaelaps fahrenholzi were the most frequent (36%) ectoparasites collected. Two of the ectoparasites (Ornithonyssus bacoti and Ixodes scapularis) are new host records, and 5 of the 8 species of mites collected were not previously reported as occurring in Louisiana.
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1 December 2012
Diet and Ectoparasites of the Southern Short-Tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis) in Louisiana
Terry L. Sylvester,
Justin D. Hoffman,
Eddie K. Lyons
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