Now that there is snow cover, the comings and goings of The House lemming are getting easier to follow. I first encountered this little guy(gal) one day about three weeks ago as I rounded the corner of the house. We both froze, me in mid step, he in mid path. He had two cheeks and a mouth full of fiberglass insulation. Man, I can’t even get near that stuff without itching!
Strangely enough, he wasn’t concerned about me, this gigantic animal standing a couple of feet away, and he continued on his way, threading his way around lumber and disappearing under a crate that holds our plumbing supplies. I thought that he had found a home under that crate, however now that the snow blankets everything I know different.
His home is a hole under a rock in front of our house. I’m amazed at just how far he forages, his longest trail is to the crate on the other side of the house, perhaps 30 metres away. In the greenspace he has wandered about 15 metres.
I’m not sure which species he is, Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus) or Brown Lemming (Lemmus sibiricus). I’m keeping an eye out for him, and should I see him again I’ll soon know. The Collared Lemming changes colour in the winter, to a more cryptic white coat, while the Brown Lemming remains just that, brown. Both species occur here and I’ve seen both in the area. There seemed to be more around this year, and perhaps populations are on an upswing. Lemming populations wax and wane over a four year cycle, booming to a high and then crashing. These booms are good news for the Arctic predators, the falcons, Snowy Owls, Weasels and foxes (Red and Arctic) as they are a major preys species for all of these animals. Their populations mirror that of the lemmings in some cases, booming a year later. More prey means better reproductive success.
I kind of hope that this little guy will avoid the many predators, and that come spring, he’ll be raising a family in my front yard. They’ll be tough little buggers, growing up on insulation.
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sounds like a smart little lemming, gathering man-made insulation for his rock house. 🙂 thanks for the botanizing link too, really enjoyed that one myself Clare.
Ahh, the post reminds me of my favourite Led Zep tune, The Lemming Song. Think I’ll go slip it in to the CD player…
Good insulation, sure, but I’m with you on the itching thing. I’ve seen pink insulation used for nesting by various rodents around here–hate to think of those pink naked babies cuddled into that nasty stuff.