The northern bog lemming (''Synaptomys borealis'') is a small

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

lemming A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also include ...

. It is one of two species in the genus ''Synaptomys'', the other being the

southern bog lemming The southern bog lemming (''Synaptomys cooperi'') 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. Description So ...

Description

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 long with a 2-cm tail, and weigh about 30 g.

Distribution and habitat

These animals are found in wet northern forests,

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...

, and meadows in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, northern

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, and

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

. They feed on grasses, sedges, other green vegetation, and

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es, as well as snails and slugs. Their droppings are green. Predators include

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...

mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in ...

s, and snakes. They are listed as "Species of Special Concern" for protection and preservation by the State of Minnesota

Breeding

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.

Behaviour

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.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1762848 Synaptomys Rodents of North America Mammals of Canada Mammals of the United States Fauna of Alaska Fauna of the Northwestern United States Mammals described in 1828 Least concern biota of North America Least concern biota of the United States