#lemmus

Canadian Lemming Lemmus trimucronatus

It is found in the tundra areas of northern Canada (Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon), and southern Alaska south of the Alaska Range. It is also found on the west coast of British Columbia almost as far south as Vancouver Island. They feed mainly on grass shoots and will also eat tundra grass, sedge, moss, bark, berries, lichens, and roots.

Genome analyses suggest recent speciation and postglacial isolation in the Norwegian lemming

Edana Lord, Isabelle S. Feinauer, André E. R. Soares, and David Díez-del-Molino

Abstract

The Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) is a small rodent distributed across the Fennoscandian mountain tundra and the Kola Peninsula. The Norwegian lemming likely evolved during the Late Pleistocene and inhabited Fennoscandia shortly prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. However, the exact timing and origins of the species, and its phylogenetic position relative to the closely related Siberian lemming (Lemmus sibiricus) remain disputed. Moreover, the presence of ancient or contemporary gene flow between both species is largely untested. The Norwegian lemming displays characteristic phenotypic and behavioral adaptations (e.g., coat color, aggression) that are not present in other Lemmus species...

Read the paper here:

West Siberian Lemming Lemmus sibiricus

Also called brown lemming or black-footed lemming, they are found across Siberia. It does not hibernate during winter; it lives in burrows. It is prey to several animals, including the snowy owl and the Arctic fox. As with other species of lemmings, Siberian browns routinely experience large-scale fluctuations in their population sizes.

Lemen / The Norwegian lemming | ©per.aasen   (Norway)

The Norway or Norwegian lemming, Lemmus lemmus (Rodentia - Cricetidae), is a medium sized rodent up to 17.5 cm of body length. They have thick bodies with heavy coats for maintaining body heat against the cold. Fur color is black and brown with some golden-yellow streaks. The underbelly is a lighter color than the rest of their fur. 

Norway lemmings are distributed across Fennoscandia, a region stretching from the Russian Kola Peninsula to the west coast of Norway and from the northern coast of Norway south to the Baltic Sea. However, Lemmus lemmus may migrate further south if the species goes through a population boom.