Colombian Small-eared Shrew vs Cork bark oak

Cryptotis colombiana compared with Quercus suber

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Colombian Small-eared Shrew	Cork bark oak
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Fagales (Beeches & Oaks)
Family	Soricidae	Fagaceae (Beech Family)
Genus	Cryptotis	Quercus (Oaks)
Species	Cryptotis colombiana	Quercus suber

Conservation Status

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Cork bark oak

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Colombian Small-eared Shrew	Cork bark oak
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Cork bark oak

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya, South Africa), Asia (Armenia, Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil).

Colombian Small-eared Shrew

<em>Cryptotis colombiana</em>, the Colombian small-eared shrew, is a diminutive insectivorous mammal belonging to the family Soricidae, endemic to Colombia. This species typically inhabits montane environments, including humid cloud forests and high-altitude grasslands known locally as páramo, where it forages actively through leaf litter and soil for invertebrate prey. Small-eared shrews of the genus <em>Cryptotis</em> are characterised by their notably reduced external ears, high metabolic rates, and nearly constant activity cycles driven by the energetic demands of maintaining body temperature. <em>Cryptotis colombiana</em> is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, suggesting that its population is relatively stable within its Colombian range. Despite this status, Andean shrews face ongoing pressures from land conversion, cattle grazing in páramo ecosystems, and climate-driven shifts in vegetation zones. The species contributes to soil aeration and invertebrate population regulation within its montane habitat. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.