Seasonal variability (molting) of small mammals. What is molting called, when does it begin and how long does it last in domestic animals? Who hunts lemmings?

Everyone has probably heard the name lemming, but few will immediately answer you what kind of animal it is and where it lives. We can say that a lemming is wild hamster, it belongs to the rodent family. In nature there are up to 20 different types animals, but their differences are not so significant. Size adult reaches 10-15 cm, it will easily fit in your palm.

This little one fluffy has red-brown fur, often spotted, even pockmarked. Usually the color of different species is slightly different, it depends on where the lemming lives, because its color serves as a kind of camouflage from predators. In the winter, some animals can change their coat color to a lighter one, which makes them less noticeable against the background white snow. The change of coat from winter to summer and back occurs during seasonal molting.

And yet, where does the lemming live? Lemmings live mainly in tundra and forest-tundra. There's a lot of food here. The lemming is a herbivore, feeding on mosses, grass, roots of shrubs and sedges. These rodents eat almost all the small vegetation that comes their way, thereby can eat up quite large areas of surrounding vegetation. These lemmings cause significant damage to nature. They eat constantly; in a day they can eat twice as much as the animal itself weighs. During short breaks, if the lemming does not eat, then it stores food.

Where do lemmings live, you ask? This is interesting, but in the summer these animals lead a more nomadic lifestyle. For wintering, rodents make nest houses for themselves from the same food right under the snow. Some types of rodents summer period dig holes among the roots of bushes. For example, the Norwegian lemming digs a short distance tunnels at the foot of the hills, which end in a round hole. The bottom of the hole is covered with moss or dry grass.

Lifestyle Features

In general, this is a solitary animal, but during the winter they can unite, forming entire settlement houses with many passages. In summer, you will often find a female lemming in houses. Here she breeds her offspring, and the male spends time looking for food. They do not hibernate, they reproduce all year round, due to which the population can greatly increase.

Lemmings serve as the main source of food for such predators, like martens, stoats, foxes and wolves. Predators help regulate the lemming population. For most birds of prey rodents are easy prey, especially in winter period.

Duration The life of an animal is on average two years. A female can give birth to up to 10-12 offspring throughout her life. An average of 5-6 cubs are born in one litter.

Science identifies 4 types of lemmings. Each genus has several species. Several species live in Russia. They inhabit Siberia, the Arctic and the entire territory from Far East and Chukotka to Kola Peninsula. In Siberia, lemmings can settle in forest areas, where moss grows - one of the main types of food for these fluffies. They can also eat berries, seeds of cones, bark of shrubs and young trees. Some species can feed on insects.

The names of the species of this animal often come from the habitat of the individuals. Forest lemmings live mainly in various forests; their population is not so large, unlike those that inhabit the steppes. This lemming almost does not eat grass, preferring various types of mosses. If the number of forest lemmings increases greatly, then they may migrate to the nearest cities.

Types of Lemmings

The most numerous species has Siberian lemming. It has the most extensive habitat, inhabiting the tundra of Eurasia, the north and north-west of Russia, the Northern Islands Arctic Ocean. In winter, the coat color changes to lighter.

Populations Norwegian Lemmings are also not numerous; they inhabit some areas of Sweden, the northern part of Finland, and the Kola Peninsula. Here they can be found on peat bogs, mountain ranges and slopes. As populations increase, they may migrate to countryside. Their wool does not get wet, it has a natural water-repellent coating. Natural refuges and shelters are most often used as burrows rather than digging holes themselves.

Rare species

Amursky The species is quite rare. It can be found between the Kolma and Lena rivers and in the southeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. This species is smaller than the others, and its summer coat color is similar to that of a chipmunk. Winter fur is much longer than summer fur and is silkier to the touch.

Another type is ungulate lemming. It received this name because with the onset of cold weather, two claws on their front paws greatly increase in size. This makes it easier for them to build tunnels in the snow and get food. In general, the paws of this type of rodent are much more densely covered with long fur all year round. This is a consequence of adaptation to the cold Arctic climate.

Most great view- this is a lemming Vinogradova, named after the Soviet biologist-naturalist. The size of an adult can reach 17 cm. This species is protected state reserve Wrangel Island, because he lives only here. They build burrow-dwellings, going deep up to one and a half meters; the area of ​​such a hut can reach up to 30 meters in area and have many passages both inside and several exits to the outside.

Behavior in nature

Watching the animal is enough Interesting. This is a very active animal; it almost always scurries between hummocks in search of food. Sometimes you can catch them sitting by their holes, squealing loudly and quickly waving their paws. In this way they try to drive away potential enemies and notify neighbors about possible danger. It's quite a cute sight.

Each animal is absolutely independent and depends little on the place, except for females during breeding. But when the population of a species increases greatly, from the outside it may seem that they are moving in an organized flock.

Lemmings are carriers of some species infectious diseases dangerous for people, you should not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables collected in places where these creatures live.

Portable infections:

• tularemia
• hemorrhagic fever
• leptospirosis
• alveolar echinococcosis
• tick-borne encephalitis and rabies (presumably)

It is quite difficult to make lemmings live in captivity; they need a certain climate and quite specific food. Despite their small stature and cute appearance, these rodents are quite aggressive and can easily attack.

MOLT MOLT

periodic change of outer skin and misc. their formations (cuticles, scales, wool, feathers, etc.) in animals. It can be age-related (passes in the first months of life), seasonal (during certain seasons of the year) and constant (throughout the whole year). The onset of L. depends on the stage of development, age, hormonal state of the body, as well as on external conditions. environment - temperature, photoperiod and other factors. In invertebrates L. (characteristic of age-related L. mainly for arthropods) consists of periodic. the larva shedding the old cuticular cover and replacing it with a new one. Regulated by hormones - ecdysone, juvenile, brain and sinus glands. L. provides the ability to change the shape and increase the size of the animal’s body, which grows until the newly formed cover (exoskeleton) becomes tight and begins to inhibit growth, then the animal sheds again. In insects, the number of flies varies from 3 (flies) or 4-5 (orthoptera, bugs, butterflies, etc.) to 25-30 (mayflies, stoneflies). In vertebrates L. is associated with adaptation to certain seasons of the year and the restoration of worn-out integuments. Regulated by hormones endocrine system. In amphibians and reptiles, phlegm consists of shedding and renewing the upper stratum corneum of the skin and occurs throughout the summer, and their frequency (from 2 to 6) depends on the temperature of the environment. In amphibians, lizards, and snakes, the ligament covers all parts of the body at the same time (in snakes, the upper keratinized layer of skin - the protrusion - comes off entirely). In crocodiles and turtles, the molt is partial (in turtles, parts of the body that are not covered by a shell molt). Birds molt feathers, as well as horny formations on their legs and beak. Beginning of L. in plural. birds is associated with changes in length daylight hours; Moreover, the periods of flight, reproduction, and migration are usually separated. in time. Types of L. are different. So, when the chick emerges from the egg, it is dressed in embryonic down, which is replaced by the so-called. nesting plumage of contour feathers, then complete or partial post-nesting feathering occurs. The replacement of all feathers usually takes place by the end of summer, when the beautiful breeding plumage is replaced by less bright winter plumage. In certain groups (Anseriformes, rails, cranes, etc.), the tail feathers and flight feathers fall out simultaneously with the coverts, as a result of which the bird loses the ability to fly (for example, ducks - for 20-35 days, swans - for almost 1, 5 months). Among the sedentary small birds there are more feathers in the winter plumage than in the summer plumage, which provides better thermal insulation in winter (for example, siskins have 2100-2400 feathers in winter, and about 1500 in summer). In mammals, age-related and seasonal L. are accompanied by a change hairline(for example, the soft hair of a young individual is replaced by the coarser hair of an adult animal), a change in its density (more than doubles in winter) and color. In typical diggers (mole, mole rat), the hairline of which wears out quickly, except for seasonal, sometimes permanent, so-called. compensatory, L., promoting the restoration of hair. Animals living in conditions with sudden changes cold winter and hot summers, shed quickly, inhabitants of the tropics and semi-aquatic animals (muskrat, nutria, sea otter) - gradually. Most mammals molt twice a year - in spring and autumn, some animals (for example, seals, marmots, ground squirrels, jerboas) - once.

.(Source: Biological encyclopedic Dictionary." Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial team: A. A. Babaev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - 2nd ed., corrected. - M.: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1986.)

Periodic change of external integument (chitinous, cuticular, scaly, plumage and fur) in animals. Characteristic of arthropods and terrestrial vertebrates. It can be permanent, seasonal and age-related. Constant shedding occurs throughout the year, seasonal shedding occurs in certain seasons, and age-related shedding occurs more often at an early stage of an animal’s life. The onset of molting depends on internal (age, stage of development, physiological state, etc.) and external (temperature and humidity, length of daylight hours, etc.) factors. The molting process is regulated by hormones.
Arthropods are characterized by ch. arr. age-related molting, in which the old cuticular cover is shed and, for a short period of increased body growth, is replaced by a new, extensible one. In various insects, from 3 to 25-30 age moults can occur.
In vertebrates, molting can be seasonal or constant, the so-called. compensatory, associated with the restoration of constantly wearing out body coverings (for example, in a mole, whose hairline quickly wears out due to its burrowing lifestyle). Amphibians and reptiles shed the upper stratum corneum of their skin throughout the summer (from 2 to 6 times), depending on the temperature of their environment. The molting of snakes is peculiar: the surface layer of skin, having begun to separate on the jaws, gradually comes off entirely, turning inside out, forming the so-called. crawl out. Transparent fused eyelids also change. In lizards, molting occurs in parts, in patches. In turtles, molting occurs in areas free of shell.
In birds, molting can occur 2 or 3 times a year, which is associated with seasonal polymorphism and the change from breeding plumage to winter plumage and vice versa. Some birds molt gradually without losing their ability to fly. Others, mainly inhabitants of forests and bushes from the family. chickens, shed old feathers quickly, so during the molting period they cannot fly and hide in the thickets. Ducks, geese, swans, loons and rails lose all the flight feathers on their wings and tail feathers, and therefore are not capable of flight for quite a long time (up to 1-1.5 months). At this time, they usually gather in huge flocks in remote, hard-to-reach places. When birds molt, the structure and number of feathers change: by winter, their number and density increases by about 1.5 times, and the downy layer increases.
Mammals molt 1-2 times a year, with one coat of hair being replaced by another, for example. winter - summer and vice versa; the soft hair of cubs is a coarser coat characteristic of adults. The speed of molting directly depends on the speed of change from cold winter to hot summer.

.(Source: “Biology. Modern illustrated encyclopedia.” Chief editor A. P. Gorkin; M.: Rosman, 2006.)

See what "MOLTING" is in other dictionaries:

MOLTING, the process of shedding and replacing the outer layers of the body's integument. Mammals shed their outer layers of skin and hair when they shed, often during certain seasons of the year. A person does not shed, however, he constantly sheds dead dry hair... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

MOLTING, molting, many. no, female (specialist.). Same as shedding. Molting of the beast. Autumn molt. Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Noun fading Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Context 5.0 Informatics. 2012. molting noun, number of synonyms: 2 molting (3) ... Synonym dictionary

Periodic change of external integument (chitin, wool, and plumage) in animals. Regulation of molting occurs with the participation of hormones... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

MOLD (yay, yay, 1 and 2 l. not used), yay; nesov. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

MOLTING- periodic change of hair in mammals, feathers and horny formations in birds, the upper keratinized layer of skin in reptiles and cuticle in arthropods. Ecological encyclopedic dictionary. Chisinau: Home… … Ecological dictionary

MOLTING- MOLTING, see Epidermis... Great Medical Encyclopedia

molting- Periodic change of external integument in animals; can be age-related, seasonal and permanent; in invertebrates, L., as a rule, is associated with the stages of individual development, and in vertebrates with adaptability to external conditions. [Arefyev V... Technical Translator's Guide

MOLTING- seasonal change of hair. U L. The covering hair is replaced twice a year in spring and autumn. During L. for the skin of L. take special care, carefully clean it, removing loose hair... Horse breeding guide

A wolf in the molting stage (Moscow Zoo, June). Molting is a process of changing the integument of animals, which has a diverse nature. Among invertebrates, the typical tench is ... Wikipedia

Lemmings are small mice-like animals, the size of which reaches 10-13 cm. They have motley fur, sometimes with gray-brown streaks.

The appearance of lemmings is very funny: after eating to their fill, they noticeably gain weight. In winter, their fur becomes light in color.

These animals are very voracious; in a day, an adult lemming eats twice as much as it weighs. They usually feed all day, sometimes at night, destroying about 50 kilograms of vegetation per year.

Description of Lemmings

There are small animals in the Arctic that have adapted to the harsh conditions of the Arctic and seem to feel quite comfortable - these are lemmings. Many Russians don’t even know who they are, because in middle lane They are almost never found in Russia. Lemmings it is small rodents from the hamster family. Outwardly, they resemble mice, although these are their very distant relatives.

Despite their cute appearance, these animals often show aggression, even towards their relatives. They love to dig separate holes, for which they can even fight with uninvited guests. By the way, having seen a person, lemmings, even having a very small size, contrary to logic, they do not get scared, but begin to defend their territory. It is normal to hiss and, in some cases, to lunge.

Habitats and lifestyle

Lemmings live in the arctic and subarctic tundra, starting from the east coast White Sea in the west and to the Bering Strait in the east - the northern regions of America, the islands of the Arctic Ocean, Franz Josef Land, on the Taimyr Peninsula. They prefer mossy tundra, where dwarf birch and willow grow, rocky tundra, slopes of watersheds, peat bog and sedge-tussock areas, except for lichen tundra.

Lemmings lead an active lifestyle all year round. They are herbivores, feeding on various berries, shoots, roots and grains, and at the same time they themselves are food for polar foxes, as well as for arctic foxes, buzzards and especially snowy owls, which prefer lemmings to any other prey.

Lemmings are solitary animals. Individual individuals secure certain areas for themselves and protect them from their neighbors. During periods of large populations, they are a real disaster for agriculture in the northern regions. They make seasonal raids on pastures, where they completely eat up sedges, mosses, and shrubs, which are necessary to feed deer and other domestic animals.

For the winter, they make nests on the ground under the snow. At this time, they feed on the root parts of plants, which they dig out from under the snow. They often store food for future use by arranging storage facilities near their nest. In addition, they constantly crawl to the surface in search of food. This is especially true in the dark. By the way, it is during night feeding that lemmings become prey for the polar owl, which hunts only at night.

Types of Lemmings

Several types of lemmings are common in our country: forest, Norwegian, Siberian, Amur, hoofed and Vinogradov's lemmings. In general, they have only minor differences in color and body length. The largest of them are Vinogradov's lemmings, they reach 17 cm - they are the largest of all small rodents.

Forest Lemming(Myopus schisticolor) - has a body size of about 8-13 cm; weight up to 45 g. Color black and gray, with brown spots on the back. Lives in the taiga from Scandinavia to Kamchatka. Prefers conifers and mixed forests with abundant moss. It feeds mainly on mosses, berries and roots. It makes burrows in moss hummocks, among tree roots, or among moss-covered stones. Females bring 4-6 cubs twice a year. They live 1-2 years.

Norwegian Leming(Lemmus lemmus). Size up to 15 cm. Variegated color, with a yellow-brown black stripe along the back. It lives in the mountain tundra in Scandinavia and on the Kola Peninsula. It does not dig burrows; it usually settles in natural shelters under tree roots, among stones and moss hummocks. It feeds on moss, sedge, cereals, and berries. The female brings up to 7 cubs in 3-4 litters.

Siberian lemming(Lemmus sibiricus). Body length up to 16 cm, weight up to 130 g. Color yellow, black stripe along the back; does not change color in winter. It lives in the Russian tundra from the Northern Dvina to Kolyma and on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. It feeds on mosses, sedges and cotton grass. In winter, branches and roots of tundra bushes. In winter it lives under the snow, in nests which it makes from leaves and branches. During the year, the female brings 4-5 litters, each with up to 12 cubs. It is the main prey of arctic fox, ermine, polar owl. Carrier of pseudotuberculosis and hemorrhagic fever.

Amur lemming(Lemmus amurensis). Length up to 120 mm. In summer, the color is brown with a black stripe along the back. Winter long fur is brown in color, with a gray coating, the dark stripe on the back fades or completely disappears. It reproduces in the same way as the Siberian lemming.

Hoofed lemming(Dicrostonyx torquatus). The body length reaches 14 cm. In winter, the middle claws of the front paws grow and take the shape of a hoof. Hence its name. In summer, the color is ash-gray, with red markings on the sides and head, in winter it is a lighter color. The belly is gray, there is a black stripe along the back, and a light “collar” on the neck.

Lemming Vinogradova(Dicrostonyx vinogradovi). Named in honor of the zoologist B. S. Vinogradov, who discovered this species on Wrangel Island. Where he still lives. Found on nearby islands. This is the largest of the rodents. The length of the bodies reaches 170 mm. Feeds on grass and shrubs. For the winter it makes large reserves of branches for food. Digs large and complex burrow-towns. The female brings up to 3 litters per year, 5-6 cubs each. Her pregnancy lasts 20 days. The cubs mature in 10-12 days, and after two weeks they emerge into burrows.

Reproduction of lemmings

Lemmings are solitary animals and therefore are distinguished by a certain degree of misanthropy in character; the reproduction of lemmings is a rather peculiar process. Since these animals do not create families, in essence their intersexual communication ends with the very fact of males fertilizing females. After this, the females are left alone, looking for food for themselves. The number of cubs is 5-6 in a litter, and they become pregnant every two months. And this is not surprising, given that their life expectancy is on average from 1.5 to 2 years. After the birth of the cubs, the females begin to even more actively guard and, if necessary, defend the territory of their habitat. During breeding periods, females are usually in one place, and males are in constant search individuals of the opposite sex for the purpose of reproduction.

Pregnancy in a female lasts 20-22 days. For one lamb she brings different quantities cubs. This depends on feeding conditions: when there is plenty of food, there are more cubs in the litter, in a hungry year there are fewer. Young lemmings participate in reproduction even before they are fully developed. Female lemmings are already pregnant at the age of 3 months. This fecundity of lemmings makes them the most numerous individual in the Arctic.

Lemmings self-destruct

Lemmings usually feed for a long time on the same territory. However, in favorable years, when the summer is long and warm winter there is enough food, a process of increased reproduction of lemmings occurs. The number of lemmings increases so much that there is not enough food for everyone, a food shortage appears and the animals begin to migrate. There comes a moment when this migration turns into their mass resettlement. Mostly young individuals migrate. They leave their homes together and rush in some direction. Not paying attention to anything, the living mass of lemmings moves through fields, mountains, settlements until it hits a water barrier, be it a river, lake or Coast. Lemmings rush into the water and swim. At the same time, a significant part of them drown while trying to cross.

During such periods, a real feast for predators begins in the places where they cross. On land they are chased by arctic foxes, foxes, owls, and buzzards. Sled dogs do not disdain such food, and sometimes they even eat them. reindeer. In the water, the corpses of drowned lemmings cover the water surface at such moments. They are eaten by seagulls predatory fish and sea animals. As a result of such migration processes, the lemming population is greatly reduced, and in subsequent years they become rare. Usually after 3-4 years the number of individuals returns to the usual level and remains until a new outbreak of mass reproduction. Thus, lemmings self-destruct, and periodically their numbers are naturally regulated in accordance with the availability of food for the entire population.

Since lemmings are abundant animals, they form the basis of the diet of many predators in the North. These include arctic foxes, polar owls, peregrine falcons, and gyrfalcons. During mass migrations, lemmings become easy prey and everyone begins to hunt them. Lemmings are eaten by wolves, crows, seagulls, skuas, bears, and sometimes even completely peaceful geese and reindeer! Oddly enough, herbivorous geese and reindeer thus compensate for the lack of protein in the body.

During such periods, all these animals give preference to lemmings over other types of prey, even their fertility is closely related to the number of lemmings in this season. The periodic decline in the number of lemmings becomes a decline in the birth rate of the main predators of the North, since they also bear fewer offspring during this period. Thus, in a natural way, not only the population size of lemmings is regulated, but also other animals.

Lemmings are small animals that resemble hamsters and voles in appearance and lifestyle. The second name for lemmings is polar pieds. From a zoological point of view, this animal belongs to the order of rodents and the subfamily of voles. Lemmings are the eternal inhabitants of tundras and forest-tundras. In this article you will learn what lemmings look like and what they eat in the tundra. It is not surprising, but in such harsh living conditions these animals feel quite comfortable. This is explained by the fact that from time to time they carry out barbaric invasions of foreign lands. First things first.

What do lemmings look like?

Before telling where exactly lemmings live and what they eat in the tundra, it would be advisable to learn about the characteristics of their appearance. These are small mouse-like animals. The length of their body does not exceed 15 cm, 2 cm of which is the tail. The weight of the animal is 20-70 g. The fur of these creatures is long and thick, has a yellow-brown color with dark spots. The animal's paws and tail are painted pure yellow, and its abdomen is sandy. A distinctive feature of lemmings are two yellow stripes located on the muzzle and extending from the eyes. In winter, the animal’s fur becomes very light (white), and the claws on its front paws grow even stronger.

Lemmings. Where do they live?

We will find out what these creatures eat a little later, but now it’s worth considering the question of where they live. Lemmings are common in tundras and forest-tundras (partially) North America and Eurasia. Several species of these creatures have survived on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Zoologists' favorite places to study lemmings are northern swamps, for example, in Scandinavia.

There are 6 species of lemmings living on the territory of the Russian Federation. They are distributed from Chukotka and the Far East. These include the following lemmings:

• forest;
• Norwegian;
• Siberian;
• ungulate;
• Amur;
• Vinogradov's lemming.

What do lemmings eat in the tundra?

As mentioned above, lemmings are rodents. Since these creatures live in the tundra, their food is stunted northern plants, for example, the so-called various rhizomes, catkins. They do not make reserves for the winter. Animals can build their nests directly on the ground under the snow, spending the whole winter in them. At this time, they feed on the root parts of certain tundra plants. They are not used to often going hungry during the winter.

Lemmings. Lifestyle

Lemmings and the tundra cannot exist without each other, however, some species of these creatures are still not confined to their “northern home”, but from time to time make seasonal migrations. They go to the so-called “summer pastures” - to regions with a mild climate. There the animals feed on mosses, sedges, shrubs, etc. By the way, they are active all year round. After a long journey, a lemming can eat twice its own weight in one day! On “summer pastures” these animals are ready to eat throughout the whole day, taking only short breaks.

Zoologists who have observed how lemmings live and eat in the tundra note one interesting feature: every 15-20 years, these brave men leave their northern regions in huge numbers, setting off on long journeys. It is curious that neither mountains nor rivers stop this living wave of lemmings. There have been cases when animals crowded en masse into fishing boats, which could not stand the weight of them and sank to the bottom.

Such invasions cause enormous damage agriculture, because little wanderers have a truly brutal appetite, devouring everything in their path! Fortunately, the cold climate and the presence of certain enemies significantly reduce the number of these rodents. At this time, you can observe a massive death of lemmings: the ground for many thousands of kilometers is strewn with their corpses.

Real brave men!

Lemmings, whose description and feeding in the tundra we reviewed in this article, are real brave men! For example, as soon as a stranger gets close to a lemming’s hole, the latter immediately jumps out bravely, stands on its hind legs, squeaks, grunts and tries in every possible way to bite him. In general, these creatures attack at any opportunity. At the same time, lemmings are not even embarrassed by the fact that the enemy can be several times larger than the owner of the mink! This often plays a cruel joke on them: they become dinner for wild dogs and cats.

Our article is dedicated to a small amazing animal - the lemming. This fluffy little ball with sparkling eyes is simply the stuff of legends. Where does a lemming live, in what zone are its living conditions most comfortable? Let's find out about this together.

Lemming: who is it?

This animal is a representative of the class Mammals, the order Rodents, and the Hamster family. Lemming is a wild animal with a small, dense body. It weighs only 70 grams and reaches a length of up to 15 cm. Thick fur makes it look like a round lump in which its short legs, tail and ears simply sink. Usually can be monochromatic or variegated.

Lemmings do not hibernate in winter. Their fur takes on lighter shades, which makes the animals less noticeable in the snow. The lemming's claws help it move along such cover. In winter, their shape becomes flipper-shaped. Thanks to this feature, lemmings do not fall into the snow and easily tear it apart in search of food.

Where does the lemming live?

The thick coat of fur allows these animals to live in rather harsh conditions. They live in natural areas tundra and forest-tundra. This is an area with frozen soil and no forest vegetation. Dwarf willows and birches, mosses, lichens and algae are found here. Distinctive features of the climate are strong winds and high relative humidity.

Such zones are located in Eurasia, North America and numerous islands of the Arctic Ocean. In Russia, this species is found on the territory of the Kola Peninsula, the Far East and Chukotka.

Character traits

Lemmings, whose description and lifestyle we consider in our article, love a solitary lifestyle. They even dig their own minks at a certain distance from each other. They quite often start fights with their neighbors. An animal or person who gets too close to a lemming risks being bitten.

They spend the entire winter in their nests or burrows. During this period, the root parts of plants serve as food for them. Searching for food is their main activity. Sometimes lemmings destroy all the vegetation around them. After all, during the day they eat much more than they weigh themselves.

Lemmings are not very friendly animals. You are unlikely to be able to pet this fluffy ball. He will immediately begin to bite, and then quickly hide in his hole. The animal comes out of its hiding place only after dark.

Lemming: where does it live, what does it eat?

This animal is a typical herbivore. Moss, cereals, berries, shoots of dwarf willows and birches are the favorite delicacy of lemmings. Some species prefer to store supplies for future use. They hide food in their burrows. For the rest, it’s much more difficult in winter. These lemmings look for food under the snow. They have to build a large number of deep moves to reach the goal.

It is worth saying that the appetite of these animals is quite good. Just imagine that, weighing less than 100 grams, a young lemming eats about 50 kg of plant biomass per year.

At first glance, it may seem surprising that in nature the place where lemmings and arctic foxes live often coincides. In fact, this is not a coincidence at all. The fact is that these rodents are the basis of the diet of arctic foxes. And other polar inhabitants are not averse to eating lemmings. These include White Owl, ermine and arctic fox.

A clear daily routine is another distinctive feature of lemmings. His meal lasts for an hour, after which the animal sleeps soundly. This continues for another couple of hours. These processes are then repeated. And you still need to find time to find edible plants and produce offspring.

Reproduction

The places where the lemming lives are usually designed for a solitary existence. But in winter, some species live crowded in their nests. This is especially observed during the period of birth of offspring. Females become sexually mature at the age of two months, and males even earlier - at six months. Although the life expectancy of these animals is short. The maximum is about two years.

Lemmings have long earned the reputation of being fertile animals. During the year, the female gives birth to up to 10 cubs. Even in the harsh winter, the process of reproducing their own kind does not stop. Under the snow, animals create homes with nests made of grass.

The intensity of lemming reproduction regulates the number of polar animals for which these hamsters serve as food. And Arctic foxes even have to migrate from the tundra to forests in search of other food. It is a known fact that during periods of decreased lemming fertility, the snowy owl does not lay eggs at all, since it will not have the opportunity to feed its offspring.

The myth of suicide

The most interesting fact about lemmings is the phenomenon of their mass death. Moreover, this is observed during periods when the population size of these animals increases sharply. What makes this situation even more mysterious is the fact that lemmings live solitary lives. What makes them follow the leader in dangerous places where do they die?

Environmentalists believe that this fact is fictitious. In some years, there were indeed sharp declines in the number of individuals. There were no explanations for him. Then the British writer Arthur Mee published a story about this in a children's encyclopedia. The lemmings' suicide scene was subsequently filmed in feature film"White Wasteland" But it was completely staged.

Under natural conditions, everything happens completely differently. In a harvest year, lemmings actively reproduce and do not leave their habitat. The onset of an unfavorable period forces the lemming to look for food. They migrate en masse in search of a “better life”, covering vast distances.

Lemmings travel, as they live, alone. And in whole groups they are found only near bodies of water, overcoming which part of the population drowns.

Species diversity

Taxonomists count about 20 species of these animals, of which only 7 live on the territory of Russia. Among the latter, the most common are Siberian, forest, ungulate and Amur. It is worth saying that their species differences are not significant at all. Let's look at some of them.

Hoofed lemming

This species is easily recognized by the shape of the two middle nails of the front paws. They grow significantly and become like a fork. Another one of him distinctive feature is a black stripe. It runs along the back. Another stripe is on the neck. Visually it resembles a light collar. In general, the color of the hoofed lemming has ash-gray shades with red spots on the sides and a gray belly. In winter, the animal changes its coat color to white.

Where does this species of lemming live? Its distribution area is quite wide. It starts with east coast The White Sea includes numerous islands and stretches to the Bering Strait. The hoofed lemming feels comfortable in the tundra with a lot of moss, dwarf willows, birches and wetlands.

Its diet includes young shoots and leaves of plants, blueberries and cloudberries. For the winter, hoofed lemmings make significant reserves of food in their burrows. These are one of the representatives of the species that live under the snow in small groups in winter. Being the main food of many polar animals, they also have negative meaning. Hoofed lemmings are natural carriers of infectious diseases such as tularemia and leptospirosis. Not only animals, but also humans are susceptible to them. They can become infected with pathogens through a bite, direct contact, or through contaminated water, food or straw.

Forest Lemming

Business card This species has a brown spot on the back. In general, the color of the animal is blackish-gray. The place where the lemming lives is the taiga zone of northern Eurasia. It's mixed and coniferous forests with a thick moss bed. In it, the animal makes numerous passages that continue outward with paths. Its burrows can be found in moss hummocks or the roots of old trees. The forest lemming lives up to two years, bearing 5-6 cubs in a litter per year.

Siberian lemming

This species does not change its color in winter. The Siberian lemming is quite large. It is about 16 cm long and weighs more than 100 g. It is found on the territory of the Russian tundra and numerous islands of the Arctic Ocean. On the red body of the Siberian lemming, a black stripe is clearly visible that runs along the back. Its food is green mosses, small shrubs, cotton grass and sedges. For the winter, they make significant reserves of food in snow chambers or nests, which they construct from leaves and straw. The Siberian lemming is an important component of the tundra food chain. For white owls, skuas, weasels, arctic foxes, and ermine, they are the main food.

Lemming Vinogradova

This shining example endemic species. It lives only on Wrangel Island, where it is protected by a local nature reserve. This species is named after Boris Stepanovich Vinogradov, a famous Soviet zoologist. His area of ​​research was theriology, which is the science of mammals. This species was once a type of hoofed lemming. His distinctive feature is an elongated head and a wide nape. In winter it turns from gray to snow-white.

So, in our article we met representatives of the order of Rodents, which are called lemmings. The description of the animal has its own character traits. These include a small, dense body covered with thick, motley fur. Depending on the type, there may be spots or stripes on it different color. The lemming's habitat is the tundra, which is rich in mosses. These plants are their main food, along with shoots of shrubs, lichens and algae.