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Taxonomy Of Short-Tailed Shrews (Genus Blarina) In Florida, Russell A. Benedict, Hugh H. Genoways, Jerry R. Choate

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Three nominal taxa of short-tailed shrews historically were recognized in Florida: Blarina carolinensis carolinensis in the north, Blarina carolinensis peninsulae on the southern peninsula, and Blarina carolinensis shermani in the vicinity of Fort Myers. The taxonomy of these shrews is complex, and researchers have suggested they may represent one, two, or even three species. To assess relationships among these taxa, we measured eight cranial characters on 363 specimens from Florida and used discriminant function analysis to characterize the mensural features of reference samples and to assign unknown specimens to a particular taxon. The reference sample of shermani averaged 7.8% larger …