Siberian lemming
| Siberian lemming | ||||||||||||
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Siberian lemming ( Lemmus sibiricus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lemmus sibiricus | ||||||||||||
| ( Kerr , 1792) |
The Siberian lemming ( Lemmus sibiricus ) is a species of the genus Real Lemmings ( Lemmus ) that inhabits the arctic tundras of Siberia and Alaska .
features
The Siberian lemming reaches a head-torso length of 12-15 cm and a tail length of 1-1.5 cm. Thus the total length is 13-16.5 cm. Its weight is 45–150 grams. The top of this lemming is gray-brown to black-brown. Further back the coat color often changes to reddish brown. Some North American animals lack the black eel line on the back of the animals. The underside is yellowish and white on the throat. The Siberian lemming has small, thickly hairy ears, a blunt snout and thick fur to protect against the cold.
distribution
The Siberian lemming lives from eastern Finland via Siberia to northern Canada.
habitat
The Siberian lemming lives in the arctic tundras of the northern hemisphere . He prefers tall, bushy grasslands and moors .
Way of life
This species lives in large colonies, is very fertile and undertakes seasonal migrations between high, bushy grasslands and moors and the protective lowlands for wintering. The hikes are less spectacular than those of the mountain lemmings , who sometimes instinctively try to swim through rivers or jump down cliffs. The Siberian lemming eats mosses , sedges , herbs, soft twigs and sometimes bird eggs. The Siberian lemming is lively, full of energy, and beeps loudly while digging and eating. In autumn he wanders into the deeper tundra , to lakes and rivers, to build protective tunnels under peat moss or to create nests in clusters of plants. He then looks for food under the snow. The Siberian lemming is not endangered.
Reproduction
Females build a nest out of grass and some hair. After a gestation period of about 18 days, they give birth to up to 12 young.
literature
- David Burnie (Ed.): Animals. (The big making encyclopedia with over 2000 styles). Dorling Kindersley, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-8310-0202-9 .
Web links
- Lemmus sibiricus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Tsytsulina, K., Formozov, N. & Sheftel, B., 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2013.