North American brown lemming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North American brown lemming |
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| North American brown lemming, young | |
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Lemmus
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| Species: |
trimucronatus
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| North American brown lemming range | |
The North American brown lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus) is a small rodent that lives in North America. It's a type of lemming. These lemmings were once thought to be the same as the Siberian brown lemming. But scientists later found they were two different species.
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What They Look Like
North American brown lemmings are mostly brown. Their back and rump are a reddish-brown color. Their head and shoulders are grey. In winter, their fur grows longer and becomes more grey.
Female lemmings are about 12.5 cm (5.7 in) long. They weigh around 58 g (2.4 oz). Males are a bit bigger, averaging 13 cm (5.9 in) in length. They weigh about 68 g (2.7 oz).
Like other lemmings, they have small ears and short legs. Their tail is very short. Their feet, including the soles and toes, are covered with stiff hairs. This helps them dig burrows underground.
Where They Live and What They Eat
This lemming lives in the cold, treeless areas called tundra. You can find them in northern Canada, including Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon. They also live in Alaska in the United States. Sometimes, they are found on the west coast of British Columbia. They can be found almost as far south as Vancouver Island.
Their Diet
North American brown lemmings mostly eat fresh grass shoots. They also enjoy other tundra plants. Their diet includes sedge, moss, and tree bark. They also munch on berries, lichens, and roots.
Who Eats Them
Many animals hunt lemmings. Most carnivores (meat-eaters) and certain birds are their predators. There's even some proof that caribou might eat them sometimes. When there are not many brown lemmings, some predators, like the Arctic fox, might not be able to have babies. This shows how important lemmings are to the food chain.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Brown lemmings live underground in groups called colonies. They can have up to three groups of babies (called litters) each year. They even have babies under the snow in winter!
Having Babies
A female lemming is pregnant for about 23 days. She will then give birth to four to nine young lemmings. These lemmings do not travel far from their homes. If there are too many lemmings in one area, or during mating season, they might fight with each other.
Winter Homes
Bylot Island has many wet areas with shallow pools and different types of mosses, grasses, and sedges. This is a perfect home for the North American brown lemming. They prefer to live in the southern part of the island. They especially like the wet, marshy areas called polygon fens. These places have lots of the grassy plants they love to eat.
In winter, brown lemmings live in warm burrows underground. They build their nests using sedges and grasses. These cozy underground nests keep them warm. This allows them to have babies even during the cold winter months.
Studies show that lemmings prefer to burrow under deep snow. Deeper snow traps more heat, which helps their nests stay warm. More snow also protects lemmings and their nests from birds that hunt them. Mammal predators can still find them, but deep snow makes it harder. This helps keep the lemmings safe. In summer, when there's no snow, lemmings spread out more across Bylot Island.
See also
In Spanish: Lemming canadiense para niños
