Status of the water schrew (Solex palustris) in the Michigan upper peninsula

Despite the acknowledgement of water shrews (Sorex palustris) as a patchily­distributed, rare species throughout much of their southern range and a species of concern in Michigan and Wisconsin, specific habitat requirements of these wetland­obligate insectivores are poorly understood. My study determined the presence of water shrews at 51 lacustrine, riverine, and palustrine areas at UNDERC (Vilas Co., Wisconsin and Gogebic Co, Michigan) and the Ottawa National Forest (Gogebic Co., Michigan). Water shrews were captured at 10 sites, all of which contained permanent open water, and had a trend towards a circum­neutral pH. This study also served as a survey of all small mammals at these wetland sites, and general community characterizations are presented.