Vagrant Shrew - Sorex vagrans
Fall cleanup, frost protection, and rain preparation has been in full swing the past few days. While moving an old bed liner from a compost pile I found this little critter. It had one heck of a complex of trails and burrows all through the top of the compost pile. I was able to catch it fairly easily even though it is fast like a mouse.
The Vagrant Shrew is a fairly common shrew in the Pacific Northwest and was first identified in 1857 by Baird. The Vagrant Shrew feeds on invertebrates and fungi in forests, meadows, and moist environments.
Generally not considered a pest, the Shrew is a regular prey of owls. I have yet to find one in my garden proper, just in areas near the trees and brush. The Shrew is able to produce up to 20 young per year, so I am wondering if they might be beneficial enough in and around the garden to be worth breeding.
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Fleming Family Farm
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