For the first time, a rare shrew from the Lyell Mountains has been photographed in California.
Until recently, the Lyle's shrew (Sorex lyelli) was the only mammal in California (USA) that had never been captured by photographers. However, a few months ago, researcher Vishal Subramanian set out to find it.
2025-01-22 10:00:18https://naked-science.ru/community/1025625
Although the Lyell's shrew was first described by biologist Clinton Hart Merriam in 1902, scientists have not had any photographs of it until now.
The animal itself is quite small, reaching a length of 10 centimeters and weighing only two grams.
In November 2024, Vishal Subramanian, a student at the University of California, Berkeley, along with two of his friends traveled to the eastern part of the Sierra Nevada mountains, where Lyell's shrews are found. There, the young researchers set up plastic cups with bait consisting of cat food and mealworms. They checked the traps every two hours, and soon luck was on their side.
The students captured 15 shrews of four different species in their traps, including Sorex lyelli.