The genus Blarina, commonly called short-tailed shrews, is a genus of relatively large shrews with relatively short tails found in North America.
Description They have 32 teeth and are in the red-toothed shrew subfamily. They generally have dark fur and thick feet. The saliva of these animals is toxic and is used to subdue prey.
Species Species are: Northern short-tailed shrew B. brevicauda Southern short-tailed shrew B. carolinensis Elliot's short-tailed shrew B. hylophaga Everglades short-tailed shrew B. peninsulae Sherman's short-tailed shrew B. shermani; possibly extinct
Ecoepidemiology Short-tailed shrews are one of the animal reservoirs of the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis.Telford III, S. R., Mather, T. N., Adler, G. H., & Spielman, A. (1990). Short-tailed shrews as reservoirs of the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis. The Journal of parasitology, 681-683 (abstract)
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