Nearctic Brown Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus) lives in arctic tundra across North America. It feeds on grass and leaves. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Nearctic Brown Lemming
- It was once classified as a subspecies of the Siberian brown lemming, but recent studies have elevated the Nearctic brown lemming to full species status, recognising it as distinct from its Asian relatives. Earlier taxonomists also grouped it with the Beringian lemming, calling the combined form the North American brown lemming and assigning it a range that stretched from eastern Siberia to North America.
- Lemmings are a brown in colour, with a reddish-brown back and rump, while the head and shoulders are grey, and in winter their coat becomes longer and greyer. The female averages 12.5 cm in length and weighs 58 g, whereas the male is slightly larger at 13 cm and 68 g. Like other lemmings, it has small ears, short legs and a very short tail, adaptations that aid its burrowing lifestyle.
- When lemming numbers fall, predators such as the Arctic fox may be unable to reproduce, linking the fox's breeding success directly to lemming abundance. The brown lemming is preyed upon by most carnivores and a range of birds, and occasional observations suggest caribou may also consume them. This reliance on lemmings means that predator populations can fluctuate sharply in years of scarcity, affecting the broader tundra food web.
- Deep snow blankets their burrows, trapping heat and shielding nests from birds; the thickness also hampers mammalian predators' sight, giving lemmings strong protection. Greater snow depth improves energy retention in the burrows and increases the number of nests.
- Their gestation lasts 23 days, after which a female gives birth to four to nine young. They may produce up to three litters each year, even under the snow in winter.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatArctic tundra
DietGrass and leaves
About the Nearctic Brown Lemming
In the lush tundras of North America, the Nearctic Brown Lemming weaves a subtle yet vital thread through the intricate tapestry of life, its diminutive form belied by a voracious appetite and irrepressible will to thrive. As it scurries through the dense undergrowth, its soft fur a warm buff against the cool earth, the lemming's very existence is a testament to the boundless resilience of the natural world. With each nimble step, it embodies the quiet, unassuming beauty of a creature perfectly adapted to its environment, a true marvel of evolutionary harmony.
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