Distribution of Some Nebraskan Mammals

This concise field report captures a snapshot of Nebraska’s mammalian life as it stood in the early 1950s. Compiled from recent collections by the author and collaborators at the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, the paper serves as a timely reference for fellow researchers before the author’s wartime service interrupts further study. It draws on specimens from a variety of regional repositories, offering a solid foundation of measured data and color descriptions.

Among the highlights are several range extensions: two male Cinereous shrews were found far south of their previously known limits, marking the first recorded presence in the Platte River Valley, while a series of short‑tailed shrews from Otoe County confirm the reach of the carolinensis subspecies up the Missouri River. A solitary big brown bat from Knox County and a lone gray squirrel from the Missouri River bluffs add unexpected entries to Nebraska’s mammal list, hinting at a more diverse fauna than earlier surveys suggested.