Mount Lyell shrew: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Mount Lyell shrew lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Sorex lyelli
Group	Hedgehogs, shrews & moles
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	North America
Class	Mammal
Order	Eulipotyphla
Family	Soricidae

Where does the Mount Lyell shrew live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Mount Lyell shrew in 1 country or territory across North America.

United States

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Mount Lyell shrew endangered?

The Mount Lyell shrew’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Mount Lyell shrew?

The Mount Lyell shrew (Sorex lyelli) is a mammal in the order Eulipotyphla and the family Soricidae, genus Sorex. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Mount Lyell shrew

The Mount Lyell shrew (Sorex lyelli) is a shrew (family Sorcidae) endemic to California and found in the central Sierra Nevada and Mono County at altitudes up to 3630 meters. It is named for Mount Lyell in Yosemite National Park, where a specimen was first collected in 1901. Observations of the Mount Lyell shrew have been rare, and a specimen was only first photographed live in 2024. The Mount Lyell shrew was the last known mammal in California to be photographed live. An adult Mount Lyell shrew grows to about 8.9 to 10cm in length, including its long tail. The Mount Lyell shrew is grey-brown and externally similar to other Sierran shrews, but is distinguishable because of the shape and coloration of its teeth. The Mount Lyell shrew has been found in varied habitats which are usually near a water source in high-elevation areas in the central Sierra Nevada and parts of the eastern Sierra, and as it has not been frequently observed, its behaviors, habitat, and range are still a topic of study.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Mount Lyell shrew (revision 1380066832), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1766571 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).