American Pygmy Shrew, Sorex hoyi, Consumed by an Arctic Grayling, Thymallus arcticus

• Published in: The Canadian Field-Naturalist
• Main Authors: Jung, Thomas S., Milani, Angela, Barker, Oliver E., Millar, Nathan P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 2011
• Subjects: Arctic Grayling; Thymallus arcticus; diet; American Pygmy Shrew; Sorex hoyi; Yukon; Arctic; Canada; Arctic grayling
• Online Access: https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/1230; https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v125i3.1230

Arctic Grayling, Thymallus arcticus, are rarely reported to consume small mammals. We report an American Pygmy Shrew, Sorex hoyi, consumed by an Arctic Grayling caught in southern Yukon, Canada. This is the first record of an American Pygmy Shrew being consumed by an Arctic Grayling, and it confirms that Arctic Grayling will consume shrews (Sorex spp.) when they are available. We suspect that the body size of prey is a limiting factor in Arctic Grayling consuming small mammals, with some species of shrews being small enough for Arctic Grayling to consume.