Historic First: Elusive Californian Mammal Captured on Camera
In a groundbreaking moment for wildlife photography, the Mount Lyell shrew has been photographed alive for the first time ever. Previously, this elusive species had managed to evade human cameras, making it the only mammal species in California to do so, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
The Historic Capture
The breakthrough came in October when a team of wildlife enthusiasts, led by recently graduated photographer Vishal Subramanyan, ventured into the rugged terrain of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. Alongside student scientists Prakrit Jain and Harper Forbes, Subramanyan succeeded in photographing and observing six live Mount Lyell shrews (Sorex lyelli), capturing a historic portrait before releasing them back into their natural habitat.
The Inspiration Behind the Expedition
The idea for the mission stemmed from Jain, a student at the University of California, Berkeley. He was “shocked” to discover that no one had ever managed to capture a live photograph of the Mount Lyell shrew. In collaboration with the University of California Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Jain, Subramanyan, and Forbes formed a plan to search the streams and wetlands near the small community of Lee Vining, about 300 miles east of San Francisco. Jain’s enthusiasm for the project was contagious, with Subramanyan saying, “I’m always down for a crazy adventure. So I said, ‘sure, why not?’ We should give this a try.”
The Challenging Mission
Shrews have an incredibly high metabolic rate, meaning they can die within hours if they stop eating. This made trapping them a difficult task, as they cannot survive long in traps. To overcome this, the team set over 100 pitfall traps, designed to capture the shrews as they walked across the ground. They monitored these traps around the clock for three days, sleeping only two hours at a time.
The team’s perseverance paid off when they caught their first Mount Lyell shrew within just two hours of setting the traps. By the end of their search, they had captured six individuals, disproving the notion that capturing the shrews was an insurmountable challenge. “It just shows that it’s generally an underappreciated species in an underappreciated ecosystem,” Subramanyan explained. “People haven’t had the time or focus to dedicate to studying these shrews.”
A Rare Encounter with Nature
During their expedition, the team recorded four species of shrews, some of which closely resembled the Mount Lyell shrew. To confirm their findings, they conducted genetic tests. Handling the tiny, elusive creatures posed unique challenges, as they are both quick and venomous. Forbes recalled, “They bite, and they’re venomous. We had to improvise quite a bit. We had to weigh them in plastic bags, but they chew through the bags. They’re a pain generally, but they’re worth it.”
Despite these hurdles, the team was able to observe the shrews’ fascinating behaviors. They noted how the mammals often stash food away for later or take short “micronaps” throughout the day. These observations provided valuable insights into the creatures’ survival strategies and helped to highlight the importance of preserving their fragile ecosystem.
The Importance of Public Awareness
By capturing and photographing these rare creatures, the team hopes to raise public awareness about the Mount Lyell shrew’s plight. This species, like many others, is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As global temperatures rise, the cold, high-altitude habitat of the Mount Lyell shrew could shrink by up to 90%, threatening its very existence, according to a study by UC Davis.
Subramanyan emphasized the crucial role photography plays in conservation efforts: “Without that kind of public awareness and outreach through photographs, the species could have just quietly disappeared under the radar, and nobody would have had any idea about it.”
A New Chapter for Conservation
The team’s success represents a significant step forward in understanding and protecting one of California’s most elusive mammals. Through their dedication, they’ve not only captured a historic image but also brought attention to the urgent need to conserve the fragile ecosystems these creatures depend on.
