The Collared Lemming is among the most interesting rodents in the world. Its coloration is unique because in summer they are brown and gray but in winter they turn white as snow.  This particular breed of lemming has two adaptations that are unique to its kind.  It can (as listed before) turn white in the winter to blend in with its surroundings and in winter its front claws get larger and sharper to get through the hard-packed snow.  Its identifying characteristic is its size it is the smallest Arctic rodent in the world.  These rodents are normally 150mm. when fully grown.

 

Their population is growing around spring and shrinks slowly all other portions of the year.  In the spring, at the population’s peak, there are around 1.5 million.  Constant reproduction and their low food chain status contribute to their gain and loss of population. They are on the endangered species list and are marked as the least concern.

 

Normally these rodents can be found digging large mazes of tunnels or scavenging for food.  They do well in their habitat because of the abundance of their food source and soft moist ground.  They can be found in Siberia and Northern Canada.

 

These animals are a secondary food source for several arctic animals.  They normally dig holes near the best area for them to get food and they eat the bark and twigs off of willow and dwarf birch trees.  They compete with voles for food.

 

Arctic foxes and snowy owls are the main predator of these lemmings.  They evade their predators through holes and tunnels that they dig around winter.

 

The most interesting fact I found out about these lemmings was that the rumors about lemming suicide are not real they are actually psychologically fine and can swim up to a kilometer in straight distance they’re just looking for food.  I learned that there are more than just a few species of rodents.

Author: Marcos C.
Published: 10/2012

 

Sources:
 Caleb. "Lemmings." Thinkquest. Web. 3 Feb. 2011. http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/lemming.html.

"Collared Lemmings." Organize Your Resources in an Online Binder - LiveBinders. Web. 03 Feb. 2011.
http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit/53046
Macdonald, David W. "Lemmings and Voles." The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File, 2006. Print.  Photo from Google Images