If I'm being honest, last week was the first time I've ever seen this animal.

My fiancé' found this little critter near lake Doster in Plainwell, Michigan.  At first look, I thought it was a mouse.  But it turns out this is a shrew.  More specifically, a Cinereus shrew or masked shrew.

This little cutie looks like a mouse except for the long nose and short tail.  On average the shrew weighs in at a very light 5 grams (just under 2 ounces) and is less than 4 inches long.

Maybe I've never seen a shrew because they are so small.  Apparently, they've been in Michigan for decades.  In fact, this species can be found all over this continent according to Animal Diversity Web,

Common shrews occur throughout the northern United States, most of Canada, and Alaska. They do not occur on Vancouver Island, the Queen Charlotte Islands, in tundra habitats, arctic islands, or in extreme northern Quebec.

These little guys can be found all over the state of Michigan as well as almost all of Canada.  Have you captured a common shrew on photo or video?  If so, share your shrew with us in the comments.

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