Gastrointestinal helminths of the masked shrew, Sorex cinereus, from Pennsylvania

Eight helminth species (6 cestodes, 2 nematodes) were recovered from 30 masked shrews, Sorex cinereus (Mammalia: Soricidae), collected from the Pennsylvania State University Experimental Forest, Centre County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. All hosts were infected with at least 1 helminth, and species richness ranged from 1 to 6 (mean 3.6). All 8 helminths were new geographic records for Pennsylvania, and 3 tapeworms (Lineolepis lineola, Staphylocystoides serrula, Soricinia pulchra) were new host records for S. cinereus. There appears to be little evidence of host specificity among tapeworms within Sorex spp. in North America, although no species are shared with Blarina spp.