Brown Lemming

About the Brown Lemming

The Canadian lemming or Nearctic brown lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus) is a small North American lemming. The taxonomy of the Canadian lemming is tangled with the Siberian brown lemming and the Beringian lemming. The Canadian lemming was formerly thought to be a subspecies of the Siberian brown lemming (Lemmus sibiricus), but those were split into two distinct species. They were still considered the same species as the Beringian lemming (Lemmus nigripes); the combined species was named the North American brown lemming with the scientific name L. trimucronatus, and was thought to range from eastern Siberia to North America. Recent phylogenetic studies showed them to also be distinct species, although sister groups to one another.

Lemmings are a brown in colour, with a reddish-brown back and rump, while the head and shoulders are grey. In the winter, the coat becomes longer and greyer. The female averages 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in length and weighs 58 g (2.0 oz), while the male averages 13 cm (5.1 in) and weighs 68 g (2.4 oz). Like other lemmings, it has small ears, short legs and a very short tail. The feet, both the soles and toes, are covered... Wikipedia →