---
title: "Ornate Shrew"
description: "Sorex ornatus — Mammiferi. The ornate shrew (Sorex ornatus) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae (shrews)."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/ornate-shrew
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Ornate Shrew

> Sorex ornatus — Mammiferi. The ornate shrew (Sorex ornatus) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae (shrews).

- Scientific name: *Sorex ornatus*
- Category: `mammals` (Mammiferi)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 184
- Wikidata: [Q1769717](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1769717)
- iNaturalist taxon: [46477](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/46477)

## Names

- en: Ornate Shrew
- de: Schönspitzmaus
- es: Musaraña adornada
- nl: Californische spitsmuis

## Countries with the most observations

US (94), MX (8)

## Summary

The ornate shrew (Sorex ornatus) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae (shrews). It is endemic to western North America, ranging from Northern California in the United States to the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Eight subspecies are known, including the extinct tule shrew (S. o. juncensis), known only from four specimens collected in 1905, and the Suisun ornate shrew (S. o. sinuosus), a species of conservation concern in California.  Through skull morphology research and genetic testing on Ornate shrew populations, it has been shown that there are three main genetic subdivisions: The Southern, Central…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornate_shrew

## Photo

![Ornate Shrew](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/ornate-shrew/medium.jpg)

Photo: Anne Parsons · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166332011

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/ornate-shrew?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).