“A spiteful, nagging, and ill-tempered person” is one definition of a shrew. Two species of shrews, of the animal nature, occur in our area and this name association hasn’t improved their images.

If you’re not a biologist, the Mount Lyell shrew looks similar to other shrews that occupy the Sierra Nevada. It’s a small, grayish brown mammal with a pointy nose. Aside from its size, it’s not ...