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A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes.Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes rats, mice, hamsters and gerbils.
Wood lemmings can be found in areas from southern Norway to Kamchatka (taiga area of Eurasia). [4] Their ideal habitat is a spruce forest with thick, copious moss cover. [6] Lemmings gravitate towards areas with abundant cover from predators, i.e., holes provided by decomposed trees, stumps, and mossy rock.
Lemmings are a brown in colour, with a reddish-brown back and rump, while the head and shoulders are grey. In the winter, the coat becomes longer and greyer. The female averages 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in length and weighs 58 g (2.0 oz), while the male averages 13 cm (5.1 in) and weighs 68 g (2.4 oz).
The Norway lemming, also known as the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia, where it is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fells, and prefers to live near water. Adults feed primarily on sedges, grasses and moss. They are active at ...
The northern collared lemming or Nearctic collared lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus), sometimes called the Peary Land collared lemming in Canada, is a small lemming found in Arctic North America and Wrangel Island. At one time, it was considered to be a subspecies of the Arctic lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus).
A common synonym genus that is used to describe northern and southern bog lemmings is the genus Mictomys. Northern bog lemmings are in the Class Mammalia, the Order Rodentia, the Family Cricetidae, and the subfamily Arvicolinae. [7] The six different genera of lemmings include Dicrostonyx, Lemmus, Eolagurus, Synaptomys, Lagurus, and Myopus. [2]
These lemmings are found predominantly in tundra or high elevations. Populations can fluctuate widely and mass migrations do take place. This mass migration is probably the source of the myth that lemmings commit mass suicide. These intense population booms appear to be most common in the northern part of its range (such as Lapland).
Southern bog lemmings are found in eastern North America, from southern Quebec and Manitoba in Canada to western Minnesota, to northwestern Georgia, to southwest Kansas, and east to the Atlantic Coast of the United States. This species is more common in deciduous and mixed coniferous–deciduous forests.