Northern bog lemming | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
Genus: | Synaptomys |
Species: | S. borealis |
Binomial name | |
Synaptomys borealis (Richardson, 1828) | |
Northern bog lemming range [1] |
The northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis) is a small North American lemming. It is one of two species in the genus Synaptomys, the other being the southern bog lemming. It is sometimes placed in its own genus, Mictomys .
They have cylindrical bodies covered with long grey or brown fur with pale grey underparts. A patch of rust-coloured hair is seen at the base of the ears. They have small eyes, a hairy snout, and a short tail. They have 16 teeth and their upper incisors are grooved. They are 13 cm (5.1 in) long with a 2 cm (0.79 in) tail, and weigh about 30 g (1.1 oz).
These animals are found in wet northern forests, bogs, tundra, and meadows in Canada, Alaska, northern Washington, Minnesota, and New England. They feed on grasses, sedges, other green vegetation, and mosses, as well as snails and slugs. Their droppings are green. Predators include owls, hawks, mustelids, and snakes. They are listed as "Species of Special Concern" for protection and preservation by the State of Minnesota [2]
Female lemmings have two or three litters of four to six young in a year. The young are born in a nest in a burrow or concealed in vegetation.
They are active year-round, day and night. They make runways through the surface vegetation, and also dig burrows. They burrow under the snow in winter. These animals are often found in small colonies. Lemming populations go through a 3- or 4-year cycle of boom and bust.
Franklin's ground squirrel is a species of squirrel native to North America, and the only member of the genus Poliocitellus. Due to the destruction of prairie, the populations of Franklin's ground squirrel have dwindled, approaching levels of concern. Its decline in the eastern portion of its range is mostly attributed to habitat fragmentation.
The muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitats. It has important effects on the ecology of wetlands, and is a resource of food and fur for humans.
The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae. Some authorities place the subfamily Arvicolinae in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea. Some refer to the subfamily as the Microtinae or rank the taxon as a full family, the Arvicolidae.
The tundra shrew is a small shrew found in Alaska, the northern Yukon Territory, the MacKenzie Delta region of the Northwest Territories, extreme northwestern British Columbia and eastern Russia. At one time, this animal was considered to be a subspecies of the Arctic shrew.
The sagebrush vole is a tiny vole found in western North America. It is the only member of the genus Lemmiscus.
The southern bog lemming is a small North American lemming. Its range overlaps with the other species in genus Synaptomys, the northern bog lemming, in southeastern Canada, but extends farther south.
Synaptomys is a genus of North American lemmings. These animals live in wet forested and open areas. They are small, cylindrical rodents with large heads and short ears, legs, and tails. They eat green vegetation such as grasses and sedges. They are often found in colonies.
The Ungava collared lemming or Labrador collared lemming is a small North American lemming.
Lemmini is a tribe of lemmings in the subfamily Arvicolinae. Species in this tribe are:
The Richardson's collared lemming is a small North American lemming. At one time, they were considered to be a subspecies of the Arctic lemming, Dicrostonyx torquatus. Some sources believe they are a subspecies of the northern collared lemming, Dicrostonyx groenlandicus.
The northern collared lemming or Nearctic collared lemming, sometimes called the Peary Land collared lemming in Canada, is a small lemming found in Arctic North America and Wrangel Island. At one time, it was considered to be a subspecies of the Arctic lemming. Some sources believe several other species of collared lemmings found in North America are actually subspecies of D. groenlandicus.
The southern red-backed vole or Gapper's red-backed vole is a small slender vole found in Canada and the northern United States. It is closely related to the western red-backed vole, which lives to the south and west of its range and which is less red with a less sharply bicolored tail.
The eastern heather vole,, is a small North American vole. Until recently, this species was considered to belong to the same species as the western heather vole, Phenacomys intermedius. It is also called the Ungava vole.
The Canadian lemming or Nearctic brown lemming is a small North American lemming.
The San Quintin kangaroo rat is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from western Baja California. Its natural habitat includes arid lowlands with sparse vegetation.
The Baluchistan pygmy jerboa or dwarf three-toed jerboa, is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is the only species in the genus Salpingotulus. Adults average only 4.3 cm (1.7 in) in head and body length, with the tail averaging 8 cm (3.1 in). Adult females weigh 3.2 g (0.11 oz). It is currently considered to be endemic to Pakistan. In the 1999 Guinness Book of Records, it was listed as tied for the smallest rodent in the world with the northern pygmy mouse.
A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. In popular culture, a longstanding myth holds that they exhibit herd mentality and jump off cliffs, committing mass suicide.
Listrophorus is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Listrophoridae. North American species with their hosts include: