Southern Mull Lemming
| Southern Mull Lemming | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ellobius fuscocapillus | ||||||||||||
| Blyth , 1843 |
The southern mulled lemming ( Ellobius fuscocapillus ) is a species from the voles subfamily that is found in West and Central Asia ( Iran , Afghanistan , Turkmenistan , Pakistan ). Despite her name, she is not a lemming , but looks very similar to the outside. Unlike lemmings, they lead a completely subterranean way of life.
features
The Southern Mulled Lemming is most closely resembling a vole in appearance and has a cylindrical body. He has a soft fur, which is colored red-brown on the upper side, the flanks and legs are rather light, while the throat and belly are colored white.
The southern mulled lemming is a true burrower to a much greater extent than the other voles and has several characteristics that correspond to this way of life. It has a blunt snout with small eyes and ears that sand cannot easily penetrate because they are almost completely hidden under the fur. It also has short, strong paws and probably uses its teeth when digging to loosen the earth. Because while its front incisors are more developed than other voles, its claws are not as strong as those of other burrowing rodents. The front incisors protrude from the mouth.
Southern gullet lemmings reach a head-trunk length of 10 to 15 centimeters, the tail is very short and reaches a tail length of only 0.5 to 2 centimeters. The total weight is 50 to 85 grams as an average.
Way of life
In this species the food consists of roots and parts of plants growing underground. Like moles, they dig passages close to the ground in which to look for food. They also dig deeper tunnels in which they make their nests.
The tunnels of the southern Mull lemmings run about 10 to 20 cm underground. They form a widely branched system, part of which is a nest chamber at a depth of 50 cm. In some regions, they are therefore considered agricultural pests.
Reproduction
The reproduction of the Southern Mulled Lemming is not tied to a specific season, but it is directly related to the food available. Therefore, the main time of reproduction will be limited to the existing growing season. Each litter consists of 3–4 young, which are thrown in a nest padded with plant parts.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .