Lemming (photo): Wild hermit rodent

A fascinating rodent found in the wild, lemmings are well-known for leading solitary lives. This little animal has drawn attention despite its diminutive size because of its unusual behavior and capacity to endure in some of the world’s most hostile habitats.

Lemmings are a species of animal found in the northern hemisphere’s colder regions. They mostly inhabit tundra habitats. They are known as "hermit rodents" because they are solitary animals that live most of their lives hidden from the outside world.

In this piece, we’ll delve deeper into the daily routines of lemmings and look at some eye-catching images that depict their natural habitat and behavior.

Lemming	Wild hermit rodent found in cold climates, often living alone in underground burrows.
Appearance	Small, round, with thick fur and a short tail, they have sharp claws for digging and strong teeth for gnawing.
Diet	Lemmings mainly eat plants, roots, and seeds, thriving on tough vegetation even in harsh conditions.
Habitat	They inhabit tundra regions, where they dig burrows to stay warm and hide from predators.
Behavior	Lemmings are known for their solitary and secretive nature, often moving at night to avoid danger.

Habitat

Lemmings inhabit the forest-tundra regions of Eurasia and North America. It can also be found in the coastal regions of the Arctic, which run from the Bering to the White Sea, and on the islands within the Arctic Ocean.

This animal is indigenous to Severnaya, Novaya Zemlya, Wrangel Island, and the New Siberian Islands.

Russia is home to lemmings as well. They are distributed from Chukotka and the Far East to the Kola Peninsula.

All species’ representatives are able to withstand the severe polar environment.

Lemmings construct their nests beneath the snow during the winter, where they eat the rhizomes of various plants.

This animal digs long trenches with lots of twisting passageways during the warm season. It constructs a nest for itself in one of these holes.

Lemming holes have an impact on the area’s microrelief.

There is always marshy ground and humidity where lemmings reside. These creatures are irrational when it comes to temperature, and overheating can be fatal.

Characteristic

A small rodent belonging to the hamster family is called a lemming. In total, about 20 different types exist.

The animal walks on short paws, the tips of which grow sharper in the winter. Together, they dig through the snow to find food beneath it.

The lemming is extremely adorable because of its fluffy fur coat, which covers up its tiny ears.

As you can see in the next picture, its variegated coloring helps it blend in perfectly with the grass during the warm season.

On the forest floor, the small and swift lemming blends in with the background.

When winter arrives, some species’ representatives molt and become lighter.

Because of this, the animal almost entirely disappears into the snow, much like the Arctic fox.

Appearance

Les milles ferreos resemble ordinary hamsters. Its dense body spans 10 to 15 centimeters. Weights in grams range from 20 to 70.

It can be one color, variegated, or gray-brown, depending on the animal’s species. The tail is only a few centimeters long.

Fascinating! Such a tail does not impede the animal’s ability to travel through underground tunnels because of its small size!

In Russia, there are seven species of lemmings.

1. Forest, or Myopus schisticolor. The body is about 8-13 cm long, the fur is colored blackish-gray, there is a rusty-brown spot on the back. Representatives of this species are common in northern Mongolia and Kamchatka up to Scandinavia. It lives where there is a lot of moss – in mixed and coniferous forests – it also feeds on it. Forest The lemming is shown in the next photo.

The roots of trees are where the forest lemming builds its nest.

1. Norwegian, or Lemmus lemmus. Representatives of this species have a body length of about 15 cm. In the photo below, you can see that the back has variegated fur, which becomes especially bright in winter. From the nose to the shoulder blades, there is a spot of rich black color, along the ridge there is a dark stripe, on the rest of the back the fur is brown-yellow. Settles in the mountain tundra and migrates to the taiga zone. Lemmings belonging to this species do not dig holes themselves, but prefer to inhabit natural shelters.

The Norwegian lemming consumes cereals, sedge, moss, and certain berries, especially blueberries and lingonberries, in addition to green moss.

1. Siberian, or Lemmus sibiricus. The length of its body can vary from 14 to 16 cm. Such an animal weighs from 45 to 130 g. Its fur is reddish-yellow, along the back there is a black stripe. This coloration remains throughout the year and does not change even in winter. The areas where it lives are rich in sedges, green moss and cotton grass. A representative of this species can be found in the tundra regions of Russia.

Shrubs that grow in the habitat can occasionally be eaten by Siberians.

1. Amur, or Lemmus amurensis. The body length of such an animal is usually not more than 12 cm. He has a short tail, which can coincide in size with the length of the back foot. The inner finger on the front limb is somewhat shortened and has a nail -shaped claw, at the end it can be bifurcated. Vorisy. In the summer months, the animal has an even brown color with a black strip passing along the back. Approaching the head, this strip gradually expands and can spill into a wide spot. The wool on the lower surface of the head, on the sides and cheeks is painted in a rich rusty-red color. The abdomen is red, but not so bright. A black strip is visible on the muzzle, which passes through the eyes along the side of the head to the ear. In winter, the Amur lemming "dresses" itself in dark brown long fur, which has a gray or rusty coating, while the dark stripe can completely disappear. The following photo shows a typical representative of this species.

A white patch on the chin and lips may be present in some members of this species.

1. Uncle, or Dicrostonyx torquatus. The compact body reaches a length of about 11-14 cm. As you can see in the photo below, its fur is colored bright ash-gray with intense red zones on the head and sides, on the abdomen the fur is dark gray. In winter, such a lemming will definitely put on a white fur coat, and on the front legs two claws located in the middle will grow strongly.

The black stripe on the hoofed lemming’s back is easily noticeable, and a thin "collar" encircles its neck.

1. Vinogradov, or Dicrostonyx vinogradovi. This is an island species with a body length of about 17 cm. The largest representative of its genus. The fur located on the upper part of the body is ash-gray with with a slight hint of chestnut tint. There are small cream spots. In the sacrum area, a black "strap" is clearly visible, running across the entire back. The fur on the head is dark gray, the cheeks and belly are somewhat lighter, at the base of the neck there is a small reddish spot. As can be seen in the next photo, the lateral areas are red. In young representatives of this species, the fur is uniformly colored grayish-brown, the black "strap" is clearly visible not only on the sacrum, but also in the middle of the back. In winter, the animal sheds and puts on a white fur coat.

The occipital region is larger and the skull is longer in Vinogradov’s lemmings.

Main features

Lemmings live alone, but they do have a tendency to congregate in fairly large flocks near rivers.

They can easily navigate through very wide water obstacles because they are excellent swimmers.

Nevertheless, many people perish during these crossings as a result of attacks by land and aquatic predators.

This small animal has a huge number of natural enemies. Numerous creatures rely on it as a food source, including giant scolopendras, raccoons, palsuls, ferrets, and mongooses.

Fascinating! Polar owls and Arctic foxes rely heavily on the quantity of lemmings. Predators don’t always leave their homes when these rodents are reproducing actively. Furthermore, the quantity of lemmings directly affects how intensely polar owls reproduce; if there aren’t enough of the latter, the predator will not lay eggs!

The surrounding vegetation will sustain greater damage the more babies a female lemming produces.

Because of this, nature has placed limitations on how often animals can reproduce, allowing them to only have children every few years.

Lemmings have the ability to significantly consume the surrounding vegetation.

Some species’ representatives huddle together in their burrows during the winter, and if the cold weather isn’t kind with lots of snow, the males start to scuttle around aimlessly in search of food.

On the other hand, females who have a brood stick to their designated territory no matter what.

Variations in the lemming population are frequently noted.

But in contrast to the common perception of their suicidal tendencies, this is because of their capacity for intensive reproduction, which is contingent upon the weather and the availability of a steady supply of food.

Fascinating! Because scientists observed a sharp decline in these animals’ population in the 19th century, there was a general belief that these creatures were prone to mass self-destruction. Arthur Mee even included this myth in a children’s encyclopedia. Animals gathered in large flocks during a sudden surge in population, it was thought, and they followed the "leader" to a body of water where they perished. This viewpoint is incorrect, though, as lemmings prefer to live alone and do not typically exhibit herd behavior. They will also not follow a single "guide"!

Food must always be plentiful in the areas where lemmings live; otherwise, the animals start eating toxic plants.

Larger animals than these rodents are occasionally the target of attacks.

The animal will travel over fairly wide areas in search of suitable vegetation.

Nutrition

Mostly, plants provide lemmings with food. The creature consumes:

• sedge;
• moss;
• bushes;
• leaves and young shoots of birch and willow
• lichen.

These rodents occasionally consume berries as well, including bilberries, blueberries, and cloudberries. However, this is limited to the warm season.

They burrow beneath the snow and eat roots when the cold weather arrives.

If this is a fruitful year, lemmings will reproduce actively. Some species’ representatives even prepare food for the winter.

During times of famine, the animal abandons its inhabited areas and races to find areas with lots of vegetation. They also travel alone, in addition.

The animal takes brief pauses during the day to consume vegetation.

Small, untamed rodents, lemmings are renowned for their hardy survival in hostile environments and tendency toward solitude. These resilient animals, which are frequently found in tundra areas, are well-known for their seasonal migrations and burrowing habits. Contrary to popular belief, lemmings are fascinating animals that live on their own and can adapt to harsh climates. They also happen to be independent.

Reproduction

At two or three months old, the female can give birth to her first litter. Typically, a litter contains five or six cubs. The infants resemble tiny hamsters.

These animals can reproduce in nearly any environment, including warm months and snowy environments. The maximum lifespan of this rodent is two years.

Babies typically make their appearances every six months.

Males typically reach sexual maturity in the second month of life, just like females do.

Little "mothers" will never stop caring for their cubs, even in the event that food sources run out. The male is tasked with the task of looking for vegetation.

Lemmings are amazing animals with unusual behaviors and an amazing capacity for environmental adaptation. For a long time, their ability to survive in the wild and their solitary nature have made them an intriguing subject of study.

Despite their small size, lemmings are vital to their ecosystems. They are an important source of food for many predators and their movements and habits can have an impact on the surrounding environment.

Lemmings serve as a reminder of the amazing diversity of life in the wild, whether you are drawn to them because of their unusual appearance or their enigmatic way of life. You can learn a lot about the delicate balance of nature by watching them.

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