cinereus shrew vs Mountain Coati

Sorex cinereus compared with Nasua olivacea

Key Differences

• cinereus shrew is Least Concern while Mountain Coati is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	cinereus shrew	Mountain Coati
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Soricidae	Procyonidae (Raccoons)
Genus	Sorex	Nasua
Species	Sorex cinereus	Nasua olivacea

Evolutionary Relationship

cinereus shrew and Mountain Coati share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

cinereus shrew

LC — Least Concern

Mountain Coati

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	cinereus shrew	Mountain Coati
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

cinereus shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States.

Mountain Coati

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Ecuador and Venezuela. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

cinereus shrew

The cinereus shrew (Sorex cinereus), also known as the masked shrew, is a small insectivorous mammal in the family Soricidae, native to North America. It has one of the widest distributions of any North American shrew, ranging from Alaska and Canada south through the northern United States, with isolated populations in the Appalachian Mountains and Rocky Mountains. It inhabits a broad range of habitats including moist forest, meadows, bogs, marshes, and brushy areas, where it hunts continuously for insects, earthworms, small vertebrates, fungi, and carrion to fuel its extremely rapid metabolism. Like all shrews, the cinereus shrew has a very high metabolic rate and must consume almost its own body weight in food daily. It is tiny—typically 3–5 grams—with dense gray-brown fur. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with abundant and widespread populations across the boreal and northern temperate zones. It is a major component of small mammal communities in northern forests and plays an important role in food webs as prey for owls, hawks, and weasels. The species reproduces rapidly, with multiple litters per year, helping sustain populations despite high predation pressure. It is entirely North American and does not occur in Europe.