the southern tamandua ( tamandua tetradactyla ) , also called the collared anteater or lesser anteater , is a species of anteater from south america .

it is a solitary animal , found in many habitats from mature to highly disturbed secondary forests and arid savannas .

it feeds on ants , termites , and bees .

its very strong fore claws can be used to break insect nests or to defend itself .

southern tamandua

habitat southern tamanduas can be found in south america . subspecies there are four subspecies of the southern tamandua : tamandua tetradactyla nigra tamandua tetradactyla quichua tamandua tetradactyla straminea tamandua tetradactyla tetradactyla interesting facts the southern tamandua is also known as : collard anteater lesser anteater similar animals silky anteater giant anteater northern tamandua
the southern tamandua hardly makes sounds unless it is threatened or indulges in a fight .
the southern tamandua has a 40 cm long tongue but doesn ' t possess any teeth .
the southern tamandua has a 40 cm long tongue but doesnt possess any teeth .
besides the above - mentioned subspecies , the southern tamandua has a northern relative called northern tamandua that occupies the areas of southern mexico , central america and the northern andes . its scientific name is tamandua mexicana and thus belongs to the same genus as the southern tamandua . regarding their appearance , the southern and northern tamandua are quite similar except for the distinction of the edges of the vests that appears to be sharply distinct in the northern tamaduas but somewhat blurry in its southern counterpart .
please work with the tamandua ssp studbook keeper first for captive bred tamandua acquisition .
least concern : the southern tamandua is common or abundant and is likely to survive in the wild .
the southern tamandua feeds mainly on ants and termites and spends almost 60 % of their time in trees .
sometimes sustainability requires a shift in perspective among zookeepers , as it did with efforts related to the southern tamandua .
the southern tamandua has a long prehensile tail that is used almost like a fifth limb during standing and climbing trees .
also known as lesser anteater , the southern tamandua has a 40 cm long tongue but doesn ' t possess any teeth .
the species of southern tamandua locates its prey with the help of smell as it has very poor eyesight but extremely sensitive nose .
the tamandua ( lesser anteater ) is native to south america east of the andes and south to southern brazil , northern argentina and uruguay .
tamandua mexicana ranges from southern mexico in the north of its range , through central america as far south as northwestern peru and northwestern venezuela .
despite the poor vision and hearing , the southern tamandua has a highly - developed sense of smell , allowing the animal to find food .
tamandua tetradactyla straminea this anteater was first identified in 1889 and its location mainly includes the southern part of brazil , argentina , bolivia and paraguay .
carely , alan . tamandua anteater . ( tamandua anteater ( tamandua mexicana ) . n . d . photograph . pr science , belize . web . 27 may 2013 . < urltoken > .
living in the southern part of the new world . in other words , central and south america .
a tamandua tale - the tamandua forages both on the ground and in the trees , using its prehensile tail to aid in gripping branches .
the northern and southern tamandua anteaters are relatively the same , but located in different regions of the world . the northern tamandua can be found throughout tropical regions of central america , whereas the southern tamandua can be found in south america . these anteaters are often called the “lesser anteater , ” or “collared anteater , ” due to its strong black markings from the shoulder to its rump . the portions of the tamandua’s body that aren’t covered by this trademark vest can be colorations including black , brown or blonde .
native to south america , the southern tamandua is a species of anteater that is mostly seen in forests and grasslands . the word ‘tamandua’ roughly translates into ‘insect eater’ which hints at the primary diet of this animal . it is medium sized and smaller than its closest relative , the giant anteater , due to which it is nicknamed as lesser anteater . the southern tamandua is also known as collared anteater in some places and is found in large numbers in venezuela , trinidad , northern argentina , uruguay and southern brazil at elevations up to 2000 meters .
standard chain - link has been used with adult tamandua , but should not be used for any newborn / juvenile tamandua as the holes are too large . newborn tamandua can fit through the links and juveniles may get limbs stuck .
southern tamanduas move their extremely sticky tongue as fast as 150 times per minute , ingesting larvae and cocoons .
which is found in the temperate rainforests and grasslands of central and south america and are considerably larger than the southern tamandua . additionally , the silky anteater of the genus cyclopes is another species of anteaters that has a close relation with the southern tamandua . it is arboreal in nature and is the smallest of all anteaters with a body that is almost equal to the size of an adult squirrel .
a tamandua baby uses its claws to hold onto its mother ' s back .
the northern tamandua inhabits many different habitats , from deciduous and evergreen forest to mangroves and swamps . they are found in the forests from southern mexico , through central america to northern venezuela and northern peru .
according to iucn , the southern tamandua is relatively common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available . currently , this species is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list .
this anteater is endemic to south america , occurring from venezuela and trinidad to northern argentina , southern brazil , and uruguay . the preferred habitats of the southern tamandua are both wet and dry forests such as tropical rainforest , savanna , and thorn scrub . this animal is most often found in areas near streams and rivers , dominated by vines and epiphytes .
tamandua mexicana are solitary mammals and have a strong odor . the odor signals the tamandua’s presence which sends animals retreating in the opposite direction . when they are attacked the tamandua hisses at the predator and releases an odor from a gland at the base of its tail .
the two anteaters of the genus tamandua , the southern tamandua ( t . tetradactyla ) and the northern tamandua ( t . mexicana ) , are much smaller than the giant anteater , only about 3 feet ( 90 cm ) long . the usual color is yellowish white , with a broad black lateral band , covering nearly the whole of the side of the body . each anteater has short hair .
the tamandua can be held by the tail if needed , a harness is not really necessary .
harrold , andria .
animal diversity web .
tamandua mexicana , northern tamandua . university of michigan museum of zoology , 22 may , 2013 . web . 27 may 2013 . < urltoken > .
unknown , .
inaturalist . org .
northern tamandua ( tamandua mexicana ) . catalogue of life - 2012 annual checklist , n . d . web . 27 may 2013 . < urltoken > .
the exact number of southern tamanduas that resides in the wild habitats of south america is not known but this species is listed in the category of least concern on the iucn’s red list of threatened species . although they are widespread , southern tamanduas are pretty uncommon and are not found anywhere else except the wild forests of south america .
, beginning with a pair of northern tamanduas in 1932 . we have had one tamandua birth , in 1998 .
one tamandua ' s stomach was found to contain more than 1 pound ( 0 . 45 kilograms ) of ants .
the tamandua inhabits a wide variety of habitats , from dry forest and tropical rainforest , to savannah and thorn scrub .
for an indoor tamandua a cat tree would be good . mine does enjoy the cat condo from time to time .
the southern tamandua is an insectivore , the diet of this species mainly consists of ant and termites , supplemented with honey and bees . individuals in captivity may consume fruit and meat . meanwhile , these animals generally avoid feeding on army ants and leaf - eating ants , which are equipped with strong chemical defenses .
the tamandua ' s powerful forearms and claws can also be used for defense . if it feels threatened while in a tree , the tamandua holds onto a branch with its hind feet and tail so its arms and long claws are free to fight .
the oldest fossil records of southern tamandua date back to the pleistocene epoch of south america . their genetic evidence hints that the present form of the tamanduas may have evolved from their larger relative , the giant anteater , from which they might have diverged almost 12 . 9 million years ago at the end of the miocene period .
northern tamandua populations are not currently considered at risk . however , populations throughout most of their range may be impacted by habitat destruction .
the names longicaudata , nigra , opisthomelas , and tamandua , cannot be assigned to subspecies with certainty because their type localities are too general .
boxes and cardboard tubes can be stuffed with paper ( newspaper , tissue , shredded ) for tamandua to tear apart to forage for worms .
this anteater lacks teeth . however , it possesses a very long , cylindrical tongue of 40 cm , which helps the tamandua when feeding .
brown , danielle .
fruit - eating an obligate insectivore : palm fruit consumption in wild northern tamandua ( tamandua mexicana ) in panama .
anteater , sloth , and armadillo specialist group . 12 . ( 2011 ) : 63 - 65 . web . 29 may . 2013 .
references 1 . formulating diets for tamandua , a . ward , s . crissy , k . cassaro , e . frank 2 . nutrition of the tamandua , s oyarzun , g . crawshaw , and e . valdes 3 . health survey , s . morford and m . meyers .
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several potential predators—jaguars and smaller cats like the margay—would love to make a meal out of a tamandua if it weren ' t so stinky ! the bad smell lets other animals know where the tamandua is and usually sends them in the opposite direction . if a predator does get too close , the tamandua may hiss and then release a very unpleasant odor , similar to a skunk ' s , from a gland at the base of its tail .
recently there are two subspecies available and evidence suggests they are actually two different species . the dark black vested from paraguay and the light to non vested ones from guyana . tamandua tetradactyla longicaudata ( tamandua longicaudata ) is the kind i have and they are of the blond variety with no vest . the ones from paraguay are shunned by all longicaudata . the long tailed actually do have longer tails and longer noses as reported by one facility that has a large number of each and checked . this very much indicates the long tails ( blonds ) as very much tamandua longicaudata and not tamandua tetradactyla .
also called the lesser anteater , the tamandua uses its long snout to sniff out ant , termite and bee colonies . long claws enable it to dig into nests , and a long sticky tongue licks up the insects . a single tamandua can eat up to 9 , 000 ants in a single day !
reid park zoo has been very successful using tamanduas as animal ambassadors and for breeding . a tamandua and her pup can be trained to do presentations together .
the southern tamandua has no teeth but has a disproportionately long snout along with a rounded tongue . they can stick out their narrow tongue up to a length of 40 cm . the entire length of the tongue is coated with a pasty , sticky saliva and is covered with tiny posteriorly directed spines . this anteater has five fingers out of which three have large claws that can be as long as 16 inches .
tamandua females carry , protect , and nurse their young until they are weaned . young tamanduas also remain with their mother until they have reached about one year old .
when they eat , they noisily rip and tear insect nests and rotten wood apart . at night , sounds of tearing wood will often lead to a northern tamandua .
southern tamanduas are pale yellow and look like they are wearing a black vest around the shoulders , chest , sides , and lower back . they weigh 6 . 5 to 15 pounds and their bodies are 18 . 5 to 30 inches long , with a tail nearly as long as the body . the tamandua’s tail is prehensile , like the prehensile - tailed porcupine and the black howler monkey . a prehensile tail serves as another arm , allowing the animal to grasp branches with it . the tamandua has a long snout , though not as long as that of the giant anteater .
“they are such stellar ambassadors , they are often taken out to classrooms , ” said harrison edell the senior director of living collections at the dallas zoo in dallas , texas and the ciconiiformes and phoenicopteriformes tag chair and southern tamandua ssp coordinator . when two thirds of the population were comprised of solo animals for educational outreach , with only one third having the opportunity to breed , edell encouraged colleagues to change their approach .
tamandua tetradactyla nigra identified in 1803 by the french naturalist geoffroy , this subspecies is widely distributed in colombia , venezuela , trinidad and the regions of guiana and northern brazil .
tamandua tetradactyla quiche the t . t . quiche was first identified in 1927 by a british zoologist and is found in extreme western parts of brazil , peru and ecuador .
tamandua mexicana lack teeth , as a result , their stomach is divided into portions . similar to birds , their stomach has a muscular gizzard to break down the food .
unknown , .
san diego zoo : zoonooz .
mammals : tamandua or lesser anteater . san diego zoo . web . 27 may 2013 . < urltoken > .
to cite this page : harrold , a . 2007 .
tamandua mexicana
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
if a predator gets too close , a tamandua may hiss and then release a very unpleasant odor from a gland at the base of its tail , similar to a skunk’s .
at the san diego zoo and san diego zoo safari park , the tamandua is fed a high - protein powder mixed with water , as well as honey and fruit as treats .
southern tamanduas can be found in south america . they like to live in thorn scrub , dry forest and rain forest areas . near a river or stream is where they would most likely be found . they are great climbers , so they live in places with trees .
southern tamanduas are between 21 and 31 . 5 inches ( 53 . 5 to 80 centimeters ) in length , with an additional 15 to 23 inch ( 40 to 59 millimeters ) long prehensile tail . this species typically weighs around 10 pounds ( 4 . 5 kilograms ) .
the tamandua mexicana’s specialized mouth and tongue allow them to eat ants and termites . since they live an arboreal lifestyle they detect their prey by scent . the nests of ants and termites are ripped open with their powerful claws . tamandua’s have developed away to detect ants that produce chemical toxins , like the leaf cutter ants . they also have the ability to distinguish a termite’s rank in their colony . “they will not eat soldiers of certain noxious termites , but will search out defenseless workers and eat them” ( harrold ) . the tamandua can eat up to 9 , 000 ants a day !
a menace to ants and termites of south america , the southern tamandua is a creature of both land and trees that survives by eating over 9000 insects every day . with its long snout that hides even a longer cylindrical tongue covered in gooey and sticky saliva , this anteater gobbles up insects by breaking open their nests both in trees and on land . besides the unusual diet , its appearance is quite peculiar as the black fur on its body makes this anteater look like wearing a vest from a distance .
a tamandua ' s prehensile tail comes in handy for spending time in the trees . the underside and end of the tail is hairless , and the tail is used like an extra hand or foot while climbing . a tamandua also uses the tail for balance or like a tripod when needing to stand upright to slash out with the sharp , curved claws . the thick tail also makes a great pillow when sleeping !
tamandua tetradactyla is found to the east of the andes from colombia , venezuela , trinidad island , and the guianas ( french guiana , guyana , and suriname ) , south to northern uruguay and northern argentina .
there are four kinds of anteaters found in the wild , but the species that is most suitable for the adventurous souls willing to invite one into their homes is tamandua tetradactyla , which goes by the common names of southern anteater , the lesser anteater , or the collared anteater . this south american insect eater is 13 to 35 inches long , plus the tail , which can extend another 15 to 26 inches . the creature weight 3 . 3 to 18 . 5 pounds , with considerable variation depending on where the specimen originates .
a type of anteater , the tamandua ( pronounced tuh man doo wah ) is often called a lesser anteater because it is much smaller than its relative , the giant anteater . this interesting animal is at home both in trees and on the ground . the tamandua is most active at night , often nesting during the day in hollow tree trunks . it has small eyes and poor vision but can hear and smell quite well .
currently , there are no notable threats to the population of this species . however , southern tamanduas suffer from pet trade . in addition , they are predated by domestic dogs . on the other hand , wildfires , road traffic as well as degradation and loss of their natural habitat can pose a threat to specific populations .
the tamandua mexicana keep the ant and termite populations under control . this is important for humans because it decreases the ant and termite damage on crops . this is significant in order to produce abundant and healthy crop products .
where can i buy a tamandua anteater , and also do you know if they are legal in australia , melbourne , but i really want to know the first question actually , yeah . well i hope you answer this
recent studies on the habitat choice of the southern tamanduas revealed that they either choose to live in forest edges or forested habitats regardless of the landscape or topography with the open grasslands being their least preferred choice . the average size of their territory ranges from 350 to 400 hectares . foraging is carried out in the open areas whereas they spend a major portion of their time in trees . in fact , it has been found that the southern tamanduas spend 60 % of their entire time either foraging in trees or resting among branches . they usually find shelter in hollow trees and in the absence of proper tree hollows , they might also use abandoned ground holes as shelters .
an adaptable species , southern tamanduas can be found in forests , savannas , tropical rainforests , scrub forests , and mangroves , but most commonly occur near streams and rivers . they have been documented at elevations reaching 6 , 500 feet ( 2 , 000 meters ) . when they are not active , tamanduas commonly shelter in tree hollows .
the adult tamandua’s body length is between 13 and 35 inches ( 33 - 88 cm ) ; with a prehensile tail , which means it can grasp things , of about 15 to 26 inches ( 38 - 66 cm ) ; and it weighs between 3 - 18 pounds ( 1 . 5 - 18 . 5 kg ) . the tamandua anteater is mainly nocturnal , but actively hunts for bees , termites , and ants to eat when it is awake .
they also must be wormed soon as you get them . due to their lack of stomach acid they are very prone to intestinal parasites and stress causes them to come out a proliferate . tamandua often die from internal parasites , especially
for an indoor tamandua a cat tree would be good . mine does enjoy the cat condo from time to time . i would advise it not being allowed much unsupervised access as fiber can come loose from clawing and be hazardous .
tamandua mexicana has no defined breeding season . however , it is commonly observed that the male finds a mate in the fall and the female gives birth to one offspring in the spring . the females’ gestations period lasts from 130 - 190 days . the young tamandua initially stays in the shelter of a hollow tree , but later clings and is carried on their mothers back . the young stay with their mother until one year of age before entering life on their own .
southern tamanduas have short dense fur . their coat color varies depending on where they live . in the south , they have bold dark markings over their shoulders and back , while the rest of their bodies range from brown to blond . in the north and west , they may have lighter markings or be a solid color—black , brown or blond—and have no markings .
if one wants to feed a formulated food . i know of a reportedly 22 year old tamandua who was fed termants bu mazuri his whole life . it still uses a lot of corn products but obviously manages to meet their needs quite well .
tamandua tetradactyla is found in south america east of the andes from columbia , venezuela , trinidad , and the guianas , south to uruguay and n argentina . its habitats consist of wet and dry forests , including tropical rainforest , savanna , and thorn scrub .
burton , andrew , and gerardo ceballos .
northern - most record of the collard anteater ( tamandua mexicana ) from the pacific slope of mexico .
instituto de ecologia , universidad nacional autonma de mexico . 10 . ( 2006 ) : 67 - 70 . print .
an aza listserv has been created for those interested in tamanduas , which may prove a useful tool in sharing husbandry notes . to post to this list , you may send email to : tamandua @ lists . aza . org ; general information about the mailing list is available at
the tamandua tetradactyla inhabits the forested regions of south america , including venezuela , northern argentina , trinidad and the eastern part of the andes . their habitat varies from dry grasslands to temperate rainforests , thorn shrubs and savannas . they are found commonly near rivers and streams with many vines .
healthy tamanduas are thought to have a captive lifespan of about 9 - 11yrs . tamandua mexican has a lifespan of 16 so tamandua tetradactyla could well be similar with real quality care as the info on life span is limited and based on cases before care and diet were improved with studies . their normal temp is about 93 . 6f give or take a little . tamanduas generally respond well to canine medications when needed . try to find a good vet that can get inflo from a zoo vet . there are some medicinces like certain antibiotics that should not be given .
tamanduas are highly beneficial for people in the amazon , who use them to clear their homes from insects such as ants and termites that are primary prey species of these animals . moreover , many local zoo and safari parks offer their visitors to purchase a tamandua for the above mentioned reason .
a good dealer will make sure yours is healthy and eating before you get it but you need to be prepared . some remain picky . it could be a few days after arrival before a tamandua will first eat in a new home so you don ' t need to panic right away .
as the southern tamanduas are not seen commonly around human settlements they are not depicted in cultural human societies as the giant anteater is , which is terrestrial by nature and seen more frequently than the tamanduas . however , tamanduas often get killed by hunters for their thick tendons present in their tail which is used in making rope . besides this , some amazonian indians capture tamanduas and take them to their homes in order to rid themselves from ants and termites .
the first southern tamandua maintained in a north american collection was an individual ( of unknown sex ) imported in 1883 ; the animal was housed at the philadelphia zoo . longevity data indicate that the species may live as long as 20 + years . the oldest living animals are a female at houston zoo ( studbook # 243 , at 11 . 7 years of age ) and a male at sacramento zoo ( studbook # 181 , at 18 . 0 years of age ) . the oldest female to breed did so at an age of 10 . 6 years , while the oldest male was 18 . 3 years of age at estimated conception . despite a maximum longevity of 19 . 18 years ( over the last decade ) , median life expectancy is much lower .
a powerful sense of smell helps the animal find a food source , like a termite mound . the tamandua feeds only a short time at each ant nest or termite mound so it won ' t get many bites . this also helps ensure there are plenty of snacks at the same location the next time !
) . head and body length ranges from 470 to 770 mm and tail length from 402 to 672 mm . northern tamanduas are fawn to brownish colored and have a distinct , black
v
going down their backs . one of their names , vested anteaters , is derived from this
v
as it makes the anteater appear to be wearing a vest . northern tamanduas always have this vivid , black
vest
on their trunk that continues from the shoulders to the rump . southern tamanduas , northern tamandua ' s closest relative , only has this
v
in some specimens from the southeastern portion of their range , the part of their range which is farthest from the range of northern tamanduas . sometimes the two species can only be distinguished by characters of the skull .
thus , the tamandua is primarily kept as an ambassador species because is a good example of an animal whose future is strongly depending on the attitude of humans towards its natural environment , and for educational reasons as a good example for a unique life form . it thus contributes to a better understanding of the very particular and endemic fauna of south america .
they are good swimmers and like water so a child ' s wading pool on warm days might be good . some have liked soaking in warm water but most tamandua do not seem to like water that much . not all enjoy getting in water pua loves going to the river but usually avoids getting wet but if heated up she has waded in and even swims but it has to be just right .
the primary way of communication among the tamanduas is through smell . their anal glands produce a special secretion that has a very strong distasteful smell . they use this secretion to mark trees , paths or any conspicuous object and also to advertise their presence , status and sexual condition to the opposite sex . sometimes they use this stench for marking their territorial boundary . the southern tamanduas are very quiet animals and make sounds only during fights which can be heard in the form of snorts , hisses , roars and sniffs . on the other hand , during the postnatal care , the young tamanduas often make a high - pitched grunting noise to communicate with their mother .
keepers say the tamanduas can tell the different ant species apart by their smell , and they only like to eat certain types ! tamanduas like to climb , too ( especially palm trees ) , so while out on a walk or meeting guests , keepers have to keep their tamandua from getting too close to any trees . otherwise , our animal ambassador just might grab onto a branch with those mighty forearms , and it would be tough to convince him or her to let go !
a specialized mouth and tongue let tamanduas eat up to 9 , 000 ants in a single day ! tamanduas don ' t have teeth to chew their food ; instead , their stomach grinds the food after it is swallowed . a 16 - inch - long ( 41 centimeters ) sticky tongue with small barbs on it is just right for stealing ants and termites from their home . the tamandua ' s mouth is only as round as a pencil , but it can also lick up honey and soft , juicy fruits .
while some anteaters can be gluttons and highly food motivated some are hard to get eating when newly acquired . they usually love the flavor of milk so a kitten milk replacer can be used for flavor short term . milk replacer should not be used long term . there is too much retinol in it . if used it should be temporary to wean them onto a healthy food mix . i have recently been told many tamandua in asian zoos are dying young from retinol toxicity . do not use long term . try to keep any use in adults to under a month .
females give birth to one young at a time . rarely twins are born but the mother tamandua can not care for more than one young at a time in the wild so one is rejected . in the case of twins at least one young should be removed and bottled and the other watched closely . rarely twins have been left with mom and survived with supplemental feeding of both but this would never happen in the wild and it ' s more common for mom to reject one or even both so it is risky to try leaving both with mom . it ' s a tricky decision since mom ' s milk is best . the first 3 weeks the most touchy for bottle raising .
the tamandua , sometimes referred to as the ant bear , is a medium sized anteater . they weight about 7 - 19 pounds . my experience is healthy adults average on the larger size over 10 pounds . they are about 2 feet long not counting the tail . the tail is roughly another 2 feet in length and is prehensile . most are about the size of a large house cat or small dog . the standard coloring is tan with a black vest and is why they are often referred to as collard anteaters . however they also come in all blond , all black , all tan , gray and with faded vests when present . the color varies based on the region they live in the wild .
general info the tamandua , sometimes referred to as the ant bear , is a medium sized anteater . they weight about 7 - 19 pounds and are about 2 feet long not counting the tail . the tail is roughly another foot in length and is prehensile . most are about the size of a large house cat or small dog . the standard coloring is tan with a black vest and is why they are often referred to as collard anteaters . however they also come in all blond , all black , all tan , gray and with faded vests when present . the color varies based on the region they live in the wild . the actual collared anteaters are hard to find now and most in captivity are non - vested or only partly vested .
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america meridionali ;
restricted to brazil , pernambuco , pernambuco ( = recife ) , by thomas ( 1911 a ) .
south america east of the andes from colombia , venezuela , trinidad , and the guianas , south to uruguay and n argentina .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
is listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , presumed large population , its occurrence in a number of protected areas , and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category .
is found to the east of the andes from colombia , venezuela , trinidad island , and the guianas ( french guiana , guyana , and suriname ) , south to northern uruguay and northern argentina . it ranges from sea level to 2 , 000 m asl ( emmons and feer 1990 ) .
it mainly feeds on ants and termites , but also attacks bees nests to eat honey ( emmons and feer 1990 ) . the female gives birth to a single young once per year ( silveira 1968 ) .
is sometimes ( inappropriately ) used as a pet species or consumed . the skin is sometimes used to make leather products . tamanduas that are found in the wild are donated or sold to private persons or zoos , and may be involved in animal traffic .
2008 , d . a . meritt jr . pers . comm . 2010 ) . habitat loss and degradation , wildfires , and road traffic represent a threat in some areas . in uruguay ,
are needed to investigate population densities and dynamics in different parts of its range . studbooks for captive tamanduas exist in some range countries ( brazil : projeto tamanduá ; international : alpza ) , and a population management plan has been established in aza zoos .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference ( book , 2005 ) [ worldcat . org ]
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i thought you might be interested in this item at urltoken title : mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference author : don e wilson ; deeann m reeder publisher : baltimore : johns hopkins university press , ©2005 . isbn / issn : 0801882214 9780801882210 0801882389 9780801882388 0801882397 9780801882395 oclc : 57557352
wilson and reeder ' s mammal species of the world is the classic reference book on the taxonomic classification and distribution of the more than 5400 species of mammals that exist today . the third edition includes detailed information on nomenclature and , for the first time , common names . each concise entry covers type locality , distribution , synonyms , and major reference sources . the systematic arrangement of
information indicates evolutionary relationships at both the ordinal and the family level . this indispensable reference work belongs in public and academic libraries throughout the world and on the shelf of every biologist who works with mammals .
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this indispensable reference work belongs in public and academic libraries throughout the world and on the shelf of every biologist who works with mammals .
a uniquely valuable compendium of taxonomic and distributional data on the world ' s living and historically extinct mammalian species . contributors and editors alike deserve the thanks of all
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wilson and reeder ' s mammal species of the world is the classic reference book on the taxonomic classification and distribution of the more than 5400 species of mammals that exist today . the third edition includes detailed information on nomenclature and , for the first time , common names . each concise entry covers type locality , distribution , synonyms , and major reference sources . the systematic arrangement of information indicates evolutionary relationships at both the ordinal and the family level . this indispensable reference work belongs in public and academic libraries throughout the world and on the shelf of every biologist who works with mammals .
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as its name suggests , the collared anteater usually eats ants and termites , but it will also attack bees nests to get the honey .
the collared anteater has no teeth , but has an impressive 40cm long , cylindrical tongue .
a semi - arboreal species , the collared anteater has a prehensile tail which it uses as a 5th limb when climbing .
with poor eyesight and hearing , the collared anteater locates food using its good sense of smell .
information on the collared anteater is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : arkive @ urltoken
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today ' s hours : 8 a . m . to 7 p . m . last admittance 6 p . m .
head to freedom plaza for the fast & the fierce 5k and fun run . then , make your way to the zoo for an after - party on the great meadow !
show the animal lover in your life how big your heart is with the gift that supports animal care and conservation .
splash into fun with nature cubs summer preschool classes ! attend the beach buddies series starting july 10 , or pick a weekend class about elephants , monkeys , pandas and other zoo favorites .
tamanduas are arboreal relatives of anteaters , whom they resemble . native to south america , they can live in a variety of habitats , eating mainly social insects such as ants , termites and bees .
tamanduas , and all anteaters , belong to the suborder vermilingua , which literally means
worm - tongue ,
describing their famous long tongues .
the underside of their tails is fur - less ; this allows them to grip tree branches more securely as they move through the trees .
they have large claws , resembling those on the feet of their relative , the giant anteater .
tamanduas are found throughout much of south america : throughout all of guyana , trinidad and tobago , suirname , french guiana , brazil , and paraguay . this species also inhabits parts of uruguay , argentina , bolivia , peru , ecuador , colombia and venezuela .
tamanduas hiss and emit an unpleasant odor from their anal glands when threatened or disturbed . they can also defend themselves using their impressive claws and strong forelimbs . if a predator attacks them in a tree , tamanduas stand on their hind legs balancing themselves with their tail , and reach out with their claws and strong arms until the predator approaches . if threatened while on the ground , tamanduas lean against a tree or rock and use their forelimbs to grab potential predators .
at the smithsonian ' s national zoo , tamanduas consume insects and a mash of insectivore diet .
tamanduas typically mates in the fall , and female tamanduas are capable of having multiple estrus cycles throughout the breeding season . pregnancy lasts between 130 and 150 days , after which a single offspring is born . twin births can occur , but are uncommon . as with other species of anteater , mothers carry young tamanduas on their backs throughout the first months of life . young remain with their mother for about one year before reaching sexual maturity and heading off on their own .
researchers believe tamanduas are primarily nocturnal , but they have been observed being active during the daytime as well . whenever they are awake , they are typically active for an eight - hour period , which they spend mainly looking for food . they move easily in and through trees , but are awkward on the ground . they have to walk on the outside of their feet to avoid puncturing themselves with their long , strong claws .
in certain regions , tamanduas are hunted for their meat or skins , which can be made into leather products . they are also collected from their native habitats and sold as pets . other hazards include vehicular traffic and wildfires . like most species , tamanduas are also affected by habitat loss and degradation .
beautiful and engaging , red pandas are classified as endangered on the iucn red list of threatened species . there may be fewer than 2 , 500 adult red pandas living in the wild today .
smithsonian’s national zoo & conservation biology institute 3001 connecticut ave . , nw washington , dc 20008
in its central and south american forest and scrub habitat . it has thick , coarse fur that is light yellow , tan , brown , or gray . the kinky hair keeps angry ants from reaching the animal’s skin when dining at an anthill .
many also have a large , black band covering the sides of their body or a black
v
going down their back . the enormous front claws help tamanduas climb . they have four toes on the front feet , with an extra - long claw on the third toe . these long claws cause tamanduas to walk on the outside edges of their front feet so the claws don ' t dig into their feet ! the important claws are also used for defense and when digging for food .
one baby is born in early spring and is cared for by the mother only . the new baby does not resemble the parents very much , as its coat is a solid color , but its eyes are open , and it has those giant claws . the youngster spends the first part of its life on the mother ' s back ; she places her baby on a safe branch for a short time while she looks for food .
currently , the san diego zoo has four tamanduas : three females , named lola , blanca , and jamaree ; and a male , named otis . jamaree is on exhibit in the children ' s zoo . the others live off exhibit but serve as animal ambassadors , meeting zoo and safari park guests up close during animal presentations and making appearances on television . you may see one out on a walk , looking for ants .
, with stable populations . fortunately , tamanduas are able to adapt to a variety of habitats as needed .
you can help us bring other species back from the brink by supporting the san diego zoo global wildlife conservancy . together we can save and protect wildlife around the globe .
at 91 degrees fahrenheit ( 33 degrees celsius ) , tamanduas have one of the lowest body temperatures of any active land mammal .
people living in the amazon sometimes use tamanduas to rid their homes of ants and termites .
a smelly scent gives tamanduas the nickname
stinkers of the forest .
the animal can spray a foul - smelling secretion said to be four times more powerful than a skunk ' s !
tropical rainforest , dry forest , savanna and thorn scrub , most common near streams and rivers .
for air transport , container note 75 of the iata live animals regulations should be followed .
although the tamanduas both are currently not listed as being in concrete danger they already suffer from loss of environment . very often they fall victim to their habit of intruding into human settlements where they are regarded as noisy and unwelcome visitors . further , they are hunted for the pelts or for the pet trade as they are considered as good pets ( which is definitely not the case ; partially due to their sometimes very aggressive nature against their keepers ) .
they perform their walking by supporting their body on the wrists in order to keep their claws in shape and avoiding thus to be hurt by their own claws . the toes of the hind legs are also elongated which provide an improved grip when climbing up on the trees . they have four short , but muscular feet . when they walk on the surface their long tail drags along rather than being held upright .
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heliozela ahenea is a moth of the heliozelidae family .

it was described by walsingham in 1897 , and is found in the west indies .

the wingspan is about 4 mm .

the forewings are brassy metallic without markings .

the hindwings and cilia are purplish grey .

heliozela ahenea

heliozela is genus of moths of the heliozelidae family . it was described by herrich - schäffer in 1853 .
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a taxon identifier is composed of name , author , year and attribute , all separated by a blank . these are all extracted from the original publication .
the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .
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and the number of omitted authors .
attribute is enclosed in square brackets . this is rarely needed , but to differentiate homo - identifiers , this will contain the page , line or plate number of original publication .
all diacritic marks , hyphens , and apostrophes are eliminated , thus only the following characters are used : a to z , a to z , 0 to 9 , blank , comma , and opening and closing square brackets . although upper and lower cases are used for the convenience of human recognition , it is not case sensitive .
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of the 1 , 557 species shown on the checklist for cuba , 45 % are found on the checklist for north america . matthew j . c . barnes ' list for jamaica contains 660 species of which an almost identical 44 . 1 % are found in north america . pierre zagatti ' s list for the french west indies contains 360 species of which 51 . 6 % are also found in north america . this higher percentage is probably due to the fact that zagatti does not list the micromoths . for puerto rico the preliminary checklist indicates that 422 of 994 species ( 42 . 5 % ) occur in north america .
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the arctic lemming ( dicrostonyx torquatus ) is a species of rodents in the family cricetidae .

although generally classified as a " least concern " species , the novaya zemlya subspecies ( dicrostonyx torquatus ungulatus ) is considered a vulnerable species under russian nature conservation legislation ( included in red book of russian federation since 1998 ) .

arctic lemming

of lemming is the wood lemming measuring around 8 cm . the norwegian lemming is roughly three times the
of lemming found around the arctic circle , from alaska to siberia . although many different
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arctic : journal of the arctic institute of north america .
.
or the lowly arctic lemming , life is cruel . in a flash before death , often the last things a lemming sees are the deadly talons of a majestic
arctic : journal of the arctic institute of north america . / arctic institute of north america ( calgary , alta . ) ; ; calgary : university of calgary .
multiple glacial refugia in the north american arctic : inference from phylogeography of the collared lemming ( dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) .
arctic : journal of the arctic institute of north america . ( journal , magazine , 1948 ) [ worldcat . org ]
due to irregular winters , the lemming cycle has stopped . this might in time change the whole ecosystem in the arctic .
arctic lemmings occur in the arctic tundra of eastern siberia and alaska , with a distribution extending farther north than any other rodent .
multiple glacial refugia in the north american arctic : inference from phylogeography of the collared lemming ( dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) . - pubmed - ncbi
arctic library & glossary : check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the arctic .
arctic links : even more information ! links to sites related to the arctic and
iceberg : the story of the throps and the squallhoots
.
although lemming fluctuations have previously been reported to influence the opportunistic arctic fox reproduction elsewhere [ 22 , 30 ] , gilg et al . [ 12 ] expected arctic fox to be the least affected by reduced lemming abundance , which indeed was what we observed ( i . e . reproductive decline by 30 % ) . nevertheless , on traill island , arctic fox reproduction was still coupled to lemming abundance , whereas at zackenberg , arctic fox reproduction was not coupled to lemming abundance at all . arctic fox may generally [ 31 , 32 ] ( and at zackenberg , in particular [ 16 , 33 ] ) rely on alternative terrestrial and marine food sources , which may buffer arctic fox populations from the fluctuating lemming densities . the lack of coupling between arctic fox and its lemming prey at zackenberg may also explain why no clear pattern of predation on alternative prey species , such as ground - nesting birds ( including long - tailed skua ) , is found there [ 34 ] , while it is observed elsewhere in the arctic [ 35 , 36 ] .
the lemming is a tiny rodent that is found in or near the arctic circle and are thought to be related to voles and muskrats . the smallest
zoology student alfredo soto examines a lemming on the coastal plain of the arctic national wildlife refuge . / courtesy u . s . fish and wildlife service
lemmings are a vital prey species of great ecological importance in the arctic . lemmings support the arctic food chain ; they are the only naturally occurring small rodent species in the high arctic , and their population provides food for the majority of arctic predators . the arctic fox and the snowy owl feed on them , as do stoats , weasels , and predatory birds like the long - tailed skua .
) in an arctic pre - breeding area . polar res 29 : 404–412 .
arctic maps & weather reports : maps of the northwest passage , explorers ' routes , iceberg sources , nunavut , the arctic by treeline , temperature . . .
the arctic lemming has blackish grey heads and backs in the summer . around their neck they have a rust - red area , almost looking like a collar . in the winter they have a white coat . the arctic lemming has long , soft fur , and very short tails . the arctic lemming weighs around 1 . 1 to 4 . 0 oz ( 30 - 112 g ) and is about 2 . 8 to 5 . 9 in ( 7 to15 cm ) long .
bilodeau f , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2013a ) the effect of snow cover on lemming population cycles in the canadian high arctic . oecologia 172 : 1007–1016
sittler b , gilg o , berg tb ( 2000 ) low abundance of king eider nests during low lemming years in northeast greenland . arctic 53 : 53–60 .
in the qarlikturvik valley , we observed that collared and brown lemmings are synchronised , but the brown lemming cycle is more accentuated than that of the collared lemming .
maclean sfj , fitzgerald bm , pitelka fa ( 1974 ) population cycles in arctic lemmings : winter reproduction and predation by weasels . arctic alpine res 6 : 1–12 .
bilodeau f , gauthier g , fauteux d , berteaux d ( 2014 ) does lemming winter grazing impact vegetation in the canadian arctic ? polar biol 37 : 845–857 .
arctic lemmings , lemmus spp . and dicrostonyx spp . : integrating ecological and evolutionary perspectives
to allow the lemming to conserve heat more easily in the bitter arctic winters . lemmings also have sharp little teeth which helps the lemmings to gnaw through tangles of roots .
ketcham , sandra .
lemming animal facts
accessed july 09 , 2018 . urltoken
oksanen l ( 1983 ) trophic exploitation and arctic phytomass patterns . am nat 122 : 45–52
however no one knows if the greening of the arctic will cause global warming or cooling .
two species of lemmings are found on bylot island : the collared lemming ( dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) and the brown lemming ( lemmus sibiricus ) . the brown lemming is typically found in wetlands where it feeds on plants such as sedges and grasses . in contrast , the collared lemming prefers a dryer habitat ( uplands ) where it mainly feeds on forbs and shrubs .
bilodeau f , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2013 ) the effect of snow cover on lemming population cycles in the canadian high arctic . oecologia 172 : 1007–1016 . pmid : 23232938
primer pairs and corresponding coi - fragment used for detection of lemming genera lemmus and dicrostonyx .
the eyes of this lemming stare into your very soul . it knows all your secrets .
the arctic lemming , being herbivorous , lives on a diet of various plants . they dig tunnels in the ground during summer and they live in burrows in the snow during the winter .
ketcham , sandra .
lemming animal facts .
animals - urltoken , http : / / animals . urltoken / lemming - animal - 3759 . html . accessed 09 july 2018 .
nils : a lemming is a small rodent and the norwegian lemming is a very charismatic one , yellow and black . it used to be that every three to four years , there were massive numbers of lemmings in the mountains and then the next year it was gone . that is what we refer to as the lemming cycle . and the lemming cycle occurs for lemmings as well as for many other small rodent species , and the lemming cycle was a characteristic feature .
arctic temperatures are warming at twice the rate of lower latitudes’ , making the area one of the most rapidly changing regions on earth . arctic ecosystems are facing radical alteration . and , surprisingly , a tiny furry rodent may be a major player in those changes . lemming populations have a powerful impact on arctic flora and fauna . due to their influences and those of the rapid climate change the arctic is experiencing , we are beginning to see ecosystem level and even global level changes .
cryptic northern refugia beyond the ice limit of the pleistocene glaciations may have had significant influence on the current pattern of biodiversity in arctic regions . in order to evaluate whether northern glacial refugia existed in the canadian arctic , we examined mitochondrial dna phylogeography in the northernmost species of rodents , the collared lemming ( dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) sampled across its range of distribution in the north american arctic and greenland . the division of the collared lemming into the canadian arctic and eastern beringia phylogroups does not support postglacial colonization of the north american arctic from a single eastern beringia refugium . rather , the phylogeographical structure and sparse fossil records indicate that , during the last glaciation , some biologically significant refugia and important sources of postglacial colonization were located to the northwest of the main ice sheet in the canadian arctic .
most active during storms , the static - charged lemming can deal a nasty shock to predators .
ketcham , sandra . ( n . d . ) . lemming animal facts . animals - urltoken . retrieved from http : / / animals . urltoken / lemming - animal - 3759 . html
berg tb ( 2003 ) catechin content and consumption ratio of the collared lemming . oecologia 135 : 242–249
arctic permafrost , the frozen layer of ground that covers much of the far north arctic , is also reacting to warming temperatures . when permafrost melts it releases carbon ( co2 ) and methane ( ch4 ) .
nils : the red fox is competitively superior to the arctic fox . unless there are lots of lemmings , the arctic fox does well . so it will change the whole ecosystem . so maybe the arctic fox will go extinct on the mainland and only survive on the small part of spitsbergen in the norwegian territories .
both lemming species found on bylot island play major ecological roles in the terrestrial ecosystem . they are the main preys of many arctic predators such as arctic foxes , weasels and snowy owls , which largely depend on them . brown and collared lemmings also influence tundra vegetation by dispersing seeds or devastating plants when overgrazing them .
‘lemmings ( lemmus and dicrostonyx spp . ) ’ d . g . reid et . al , for arctic report card : update for 2012 under the national oceanic and atmospheric administration’s arctic theme page ( 2012 ) urltoken
fedorov vb , stenseth nc ( 2002 ) multiple glacial refugia in the north american arctic : inference from phylogeography of the collared lemming ( dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) . p roy soc b - biol sci 269 : 2071–2078 .
even though bylot island arctic foxes can rely on alternative preys when there are few lemmings , their population remains largely driven by lemming abundance . in fact , fox reproductive effort ( number and size of litters ) seems to be closely related to lemming availability . in years following high peaks in lemming populations , foxes are in better physical condition , so many fox litters are found and the number of pups in each litter is high . in contrary , in years following very low lemming abundance , only few litters are found and litter sizes are small .
from 1996 to 2000 , relationships between arctic foxes , lemmings and geese were more thoroughly investigated . as a result , many questions related to the impact of arctic fox predation on bylot island greater snow geese population were elucidated .
guthrie rd ( 1968 ) paleoecology of a late pleistocene small mammal community from interior alaska . arctic 21 : 223–244 .
lemmings do not hibernate and instead endure the tough arctic winters , with the lemming having special protection from the cold from its thick fur . the lemmings spend the winter searching for bulbs and shoots that are often buried beneath the snow .
the arctic lemming is a highly important food source for numerous species including : stoat , arctic fox , snowy owl , gyrfalcon , glaucous gull , long - tailed skua and raven . in good lemming years these natural enemies produce large litters of young . the arctic lemming is a solitary animal by nature . they only meet to mate and then go their separate ways , but like all rodents they have a high reproductive rate and can breed rapidly when food is plentiful . in exceptional years , females produce a litter of young every month from march to april through to september . because young females are already procreative at four weeks , populations can grow at enormous speed . typically , these large populations collapse very rapidly and hardly any lemmings are seen in following years . like other small arctic rodents , the arctic lemming population fluctuates wildly , usually in a 4 - year cycle . these rodents do not hibernate during the long harsh northern winter . instead , they remain active in finding food by digging through the snow and using the grass that they have previously stored .
arctic and sub - arctic tundra and forest - tundra in the palearctic , from white sea , w russia , to chukotski peninsula , ne siberia , and kamchatka ; including novaya zemlya and new siberian islands , arctic ocean
( wilson and reeder 2005 ) , but excluding wrangel island ( gromov and erbaeva 1995 , pavlinov et al . 2002 ) .
a fun fact about the arctic lemming is that they have been known to migrate when population density becomes too great . they can and do swim in search of a new habitat and will cross a large body of water to do so .
i thought you might be interested in this item at urltoken title : arctic : journal of the arctic institute of north america . publisher : calgary : university of calgary . isbn / issn : 1923 - 1245 , 0004 - 0843 oclc : 888540186
klein dr , bay c ( 1994 ) resource partitioning by mammalian herbivores in the high arctic . oecologia 97 : 439–450 .
snowy owl in flight , photographed in the arctic national wildlife refuge . / courtesy u . s . fish and wildlife service
researchers found that large populations of lemmings are turning the arctic green as the herbivores graze on plants and fertilise the soils .
but the population booms that feed the big snowy - owl irruptions might not last in an era of global warming . the arctic landscape is changing , and there are early signs that it has caused lemming populations to dip in scandinavia and greenland .
brassard gr , fife aj , webber j ( 1979 ) mosses from baffin island , arctic canada . lindbergia 5 : 99–104 .
before snowy owls start heading back to the arctic , scientists want to fit as many as possible with transmitters and gps devices .
their flights , covering thousands of kilometres , were fuelled by a steady diet of lemmings . the lemming population spikes about every four years in the arctic , and last summer it rose off the charts on canada ' s bylot island in the nunavut territory .
tiny lemmings impact population levels and lifestyle of both predators and prey animals . they alter the vegetative cover in the arctic , encouraging plants to thrive or not as they feed . this keystone species has ecological impacts on nearly the entirety of the arctic . as climate change drives amplified warming in the arctic , we can expect to see larger and more impactful consequences , even from small sources .
ims ra , yoccoz ng , killengreen st ( 2011 ) determinants of lemming outbreaks . pnas 108 : 1970–1974 . pmid : 21245340
the worry that lemming populations will fall is speculation ,
an unknown situation
, smith said . but the future is a concern .
one thing we know with the lemming population , they need that snow cover to survive ,
he said .
current research on lemmings has been fueled by two recent discoveries made in the case of the norwegian lemming lemmus lemmus , the most renowned lemming species ( 3 ) . the first is that its outbreak trajectory is differently shaped from that of the gray - sided vole ( myodes rufocanus ) , the often codominant rodent species , which always exhibits population peaks synchronously with the lemming . specifically , the lemming population erupts more steeply than the vole population . this discrepancy in “outbreak topology” has been suggested to result from different trophic interactions ; the “sharp” lemming outbreaks from an interaction with food plants , the “blunt” vole peaks from an interaction with predators ( 7 , 8 ) . however , there are still contrasting views on which factors regulate lemming populations ( 4 , 6 , 9 ) .
as it was previously mentioned , the breeding effort of arctic and red foxes seems to be closely related to lemming abundance . however , since the expansion of our den monitoring area in 2003 , this relationship seems less visible and little is known yet about the lemming abundance in these new areas . it may be different or non - synchronized with that observed in the traditionally surveyed areas ( see
the collared lemming , being adapted to arctic environments will most likely face a further demographic decline and range contraction or even extinction , when the average temperature continues to rise . such a climate - driven demographic decline and range contraction of the collared lemming , which is a key member of northern communities , would have strong consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem processes in the arctic [ 11 ] , [ 24 ] – [ 30 ] . since collared lemmings are the main prey for four predators ( the snowy owl , the arctic fox , the long - tailed skua and the stoat ) , a strong climate - driven population decline in this species would most likely cause a severe reduction in predator populations and may lead to local extinction of the predators themselves [ 30 ] . thus , a proper understanding of the effects and responses of this arctic key species is crucial for predictions of possible future scenarios in the arctic biota .
satellite imagery has already confirmed that arctic regions are becoming covered with grasses and shrubs , as increasing temperatures make the areas more habitable .
arctic foxes are the main predators found on bylot island and their favourite preys are small rodents called lemmings . lemming populations are however cyclic , meaning that they go through phases of really high to really low densities , every 3 - 5 years ( see lemmings ) .
to let the younger lemming generations have full access to food and shelter etc is a myth . this may have originated from the mass
source / reference article learn how you can use or cite the lemming article in your website content , school work and other projects .
olofsson j , tømmervik h , callaghan tv ( 2012 ) vole and lemming activity observed from space . nat clim change 2 : 880–883
brassard gr ( 1976 ) the mosses of northern ellesmere island , arctic canada iii . new or additional records . bryologist 79 : 480–487 .
“we are not saying that lemmings are causing the greening , because greening is occurring in areas where lemmings don’t occur at high densities and we are not sure how lemming populations across the arctic are themselves responding to warmer conditions . however , it is clear from our study that lemmings , and other herbivores , are more important in some of these arctic ecosystems than people historically give them credit for , ” he said .
contrasting the mean annual reproductive output on traill island before and after the lemming cycle collapse demonstrates that the three predator species were differentially negatively impacted in the order snowy owl ( most ) , long - tailed skua ( intermediate ) and arctic fox ( least ; table 1 ) .
so far , little is known about species responses to climate change in the arctic . our study aims to fill this gap and improve the understanding of past population responses of arctic species to climate change . in the case of the collared lemmings this is particularly important since demographic changes in this species have strong consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem processes in the arctic [ 11 ] , [ 24 ] – [ 30 ] .
olofsson j , tommervik h , callaghan tv ( 2012 ) vole and lemming activity observed from space . nature clim change 12 : 880–883 .
wilson dj , krebs cj , sinclair are ( 1999 ) limitation of collared lemming populations during a population cycle . oikos 87 : 382–398 .
in summary , we found indication that diet of both lemming species on bylot island is heavily affected by food availability , which adds to increasing evidence showing that availability is an important determinant of small rodent diets [ 3 , 8 , 41 ] . furthermore , the large differences between locations revealed by our study may imply that both competitive interactions between lemmings species and lemming - vegetation interactions may vary greatly across the arctic tundra .
brassard gr ( 1971 ) the mosses of northern ellesmere island , arctic canada ii . annotated list of the taxa . bryologist 74 : 282–311 .
…species , rangifer tarandus , whereas the lemmings of the eurasian arctic are a closely related but distinct species from those of northern north america and greenland . this similarity in arctic mammalian fauna is a result of the lower sea levels of the pleistocene glaciations , when a broad land connection , known as…
‘linking climate change to lemming cycles’ kyrre l . kausrud et . al . , published in nature , international journal of science ( 2008 ) urltoken
tape kd , hallinger m , welker jm , ruess rw ( 2012 ) landscape heterogeneity of shrub expansion in arctic alaska . ecosystems 15 : 711–724 .
duchesne d , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2011 ) habitat selection , reproduction and predation of wintering lemmings in the arctic . oecologia 167 : 967–980
“our paper confirms that we really need to be careful attributing the greening of the arctic to global warming alone . we have shown that lemmings can promote similar greening , through the increase of grasses and sedges , as warming does in arctic regions where lemmings are present and go through dramatic population cycles . ”
lemming in mount njuolja , abisko national park in sweden . / attribution david mintz ( creative commons attribution - share alike 3 . 0 unported license )
the recent abundance of snowy owl sightings in the us and canada is linked to a spike in the lemming population . photograph : yves herman / reuters
citation : prost s , smirnov n , fedorov vb , sommer rs , stiller m , nagel d , et al . ( 2010 ) influence of climate warming on arctic mammals ? new insights from ancient dna studies of the collared lemming dicrostonyx torquatus . plos one 5 ( 5 ) : e10447 . urltoken
) , thus representing sampling before , during and after climatic events that , based on the ecological preferences of this arctic species should have generated demographic changes .
seldal t , andersen kj , hogstedt g ( 1994 ) grazing - induced proteinase inhibitors : a possible cause for lemming population cycles . oikos 70 : 3–11
dr david johnson , lead author of the study , said the paper shows the impact the lemming population has on the local ecosystem and even the climate .
during 2006 to 2007 a large - scale norwegian lemming outbreak arose in finnmark , in sub - and low - arctic fennoscandia , for the first time in at least two decades . based on spatially extensive monitoring of rodent populations at 109 tundra sites spanning an area of 10 000 km 2 , we were able to encompass substantial spatial variation in outbreak amplitude along replicated climatic ( i . e . , altitudinal ) gradients in lemmings and gray - sided voles . here we provide an analysis of this variation that sheds light on the differences and interrelations between lemming and vole dynamics and which factors may impede lemming outbreaks for decades .
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maclean sf , fitzgerald bm , pitelka fa ( 1974 ) population cycles in arctic lemmings : winter reproduction and predation by weasels . arct alp res 6 : 1–12
we were able to test genetically the lemming species identified in the field based on pellet size , shape and color for 74 of our 76 pellet samples ( 54 brown and 20 collared lemmings ) . the genetic identification was based on the difference between amplicon size . the amplicone sizes estimated by the qiaxcel system were on average 128 bp for collared lemming and 146 bp for brown lemming . while these were longer than presumed ( see methods ) , the relative difference remained . ( s1 fig . ) . the genetic analysis confirmed field species identification in 98 . 6 % of the cases . only one pellet sample identified as brown lemming in the field turned out to be a collared lemming according to the genetic analysis . all muscle samples ( n = 12 ) were identified to the correct species .
moen j , lundberg pa , oksanen l ( 1993 ) lemming grazing on snowbed vegetation during a population peak , northern norway . arct alp res 25 : 130–135
oksanen l , oksanen t ( 1992 ) long - term microtine dynamics in north fennoscandian tundra : the vole cycle and the lemming chaos . ecography 15 : 226–236
maclean sf , fitzgerald bm , pitelka fa ( 1974 ) population cycles in arctic lemmings : winter reproduction and predation by weasels . arc alp res 6 : 1–12 .
fortier d , allard m ( 2004 ) late holocen syngenetic ice - wedge polygons development , bylot island , canadian arctic archipelago . can j earth sci 41 : 997–1012
gilg o , sittler b , hanski i ( 2009 ) climate change and cyclic predator - prey population dynamics in the high arctic . glob change biol 15 : 2634–2652
pouliot r , rochefort l , gauthier g ( 2009 ) moss carpets constrain the fertilizing effects of herbivores on graminoid plants in arctic polygon fens . botany 87 : 1209–1222
population outbreaks in tundra rodents have intrigued scientists for a century as a result of their spectacular appearances and their general lessons in ecology . one outstanding question that has led to competing hypotheses is why sympatric lemmings and voles differ in regularity and shape of their outbreaks . lemming outbreaks may be lost for decades while vole populations maintain regular population cycles . moreover , when lemming populations eventually irrupt , they do so more steeply than the vole populations . norwegian lemmings exhibited a large - scale outbreak synchronously with gray - sided voles in finnmark , northern fennoscandia , during 2006 to 2007 for the first time in two decades . analyses of spatial variability of this outbreak across altitudinal gradients allowed us to identify determinants of the contrasting lemming and vole dynamics . the steeper lemming outbreak trajectories were caused by breeding and population growth during winter , when nonbreeding vole populations consistently declined . the differently shaped lemming and vole outbreaks appear to result from a particular demographic tactic of lemmings that evolved as an adaptation to the long and cold arctic–alpine winters . the lemming outbreak amplitude increased with altitude and vole density , indicating that lemming outbreaks are jointly facilitated by low temperatures and apparent mutualism with voles mediated by shared predators . high sensitivity to variation in climate and predation is likely to be the reasons why lemmings have more erratic population dynamics than sympatric voles . the combination of continued climatic warming and dampened vole cycles is expected to further decrease the frequency , amplitude , and geographic range of lemming outbreaks in tundra ecosystems .
moen j , lundberg pa , oksanen l ( 1993 ) lemming grazing on snowbed vegetation during a population peak , northern norway . arc alp res 25 : 130–135 .
gruyer n , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2008 ) cyclic dynamics of sympatric lemming populations on bylot island , nunavut , canada . can j zool 86 : 910–917
the lemming is a heavily furred and tiny rodent that is said to resemble a small guinea pig or a mouse . the three lemming species native to the arctic are the brown , collared , and ungava lemmings , according to polar life . depending on the season , lemmings ' coats may be grayish , brown , white , or mixed brown and white . the animals have short tails , clawed feet , and tiny ears hidden in fur . the lemming grows up to 6 inches in length , and an adult weighs from 40 to 112 grams , with the average mature weight being 78 grams , according to the alaska department of fish and game ( adfg ) .
of around three weeks . baby lemmings are born in burrows under the snow which helps to keep the baby lemmings warm and away from the arctic winter . the mother lemming gives birth to around 7 baby lemmings and feeds the baby lemmings on her milk until they are big enough and strong enough to start looking for food by themselves .
lemming populations shrink and swell depending on how many plants and berries are available . one type of lemming , the scandinavian lemming , migrates in a huge group when food becomes scarce . they will run in one direction through meadows , woods and towns . if they come to a large body of water they will swim and swim looking for land . the stories about lemmings jumping off cliffs are a myth . other types of lemmings simply move away when the food gets scarce . wouldn ' t you ?
duchesne d , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2011 ) habitat selection , reproduction and predation of wintering lemmings in the arctic . oecologia 167 : 967–980 . pmid : 21701915
høye tt , post e , meltofte h , schmidt nm , forchhammer mc ( 2007 ) rapid advancement of spring in the high arctic . curr biol 17 : 449–451 .
the collapse of the lemming cycles in northeast greenland has already affected the tundra ecosystem , here demonstrated by reduced reproductive performance and declining populations of high - arctic predators . if the lemming populations remain at the same non - cyclic , low - density state as during the last decade , the result will probably be population extinctions and further impoverishment of this arctic endemic predator guild . ultimately , this may cause cascading impacts on the entire tundra food web , with unknown consequences [ 1 , 3 , 13 ] . our results also demonstrate that the nature of such trophic cascades is contingent on site - specific food web structure—characteristics of tundra ecosystems that are known to vary spatially [ 37 ] . thus , improving our ability to predict the impacts of climate change on the vulnerable arctic ecosystems will require enhanced and coordinated spatial replication of long - term monitoring programmes .
gruyer n , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2008 ) cyclic dynamics of sympatric lemming populations on bylot island , nunavut , canada . can j zool 86 : 910–917 .
there are many stories written about this . a translation of the bible to the nordic languages , the swarms of grasshoppers in the middle east , there was a footnote by the translator saying that this is like lemming cycles . so , it’s a well - known phenomenon . since the mid ‘90s , there have been no regular lemming cycles .
the other issue renewing ecologists’ search for circumstances causing cyclic population outbreaks is the recent emergence of collapsed cycles in several species ( 10 ) . one well documented case of a recent absence of outbreaks is that of a local norwegian lemming population in alpine southern norway , where cyclic outbreaks at regular 3 - to 4 - y intervals prevailed until the past 15 y ( 11 ) . however , this recent incident is not unprecedented . in large tracts of sub - and low - arctic fennoscandian tundra , the norwegian lemming population has erupted only two times since the 1970s , during which time , interestingly , the sympatric gray - sided vole has maintained a regular 5 - y population cycle ( 7 , 8 ) . thus , the northern fennoscandian tundra offers opportunities to elucidate why lemming and vole outbreak trajectories differ and why lemming outbreaks may get lost for long time periods .
gauthier g , berteaux d , krebs cj , reid d ( 2009 ) arctic lemmings are not simply food limited—a comment on oksanen et al . evol ecol res 11 : 483–484
gilg o , sittler b , hanski i ( 2009 ) climate change and cyclic predator - prey population dynamics in the high - arctic . glob change biol 15 : 2634–2652 .
but for all it appears the the retreat of arctic the tundra is encouraging global warming it may actually cool down the climate as plants can grow bigger and store more carbon .
because lemmings have important ecological roles , cycles in their populations have large impacts on arctic ecosystems ( see arctic fox and snowy owl sections ) . for this reason , the bylot island environmental monitoring project participates in the small - mammal survey coordinated across the northwest territories and nunavut ( canada ) by the renewable resources office in yellowknife , a governmental agency .
this baseline model was fitted with site - specific altitude and vole density ( in case of the lemming ) as additional predictor terms . altitude served as a proxy for spatial variation in climate ( as detailed earlier ) . density of voles was predicted to affect lemming growth rate only indirectly through shared predators , as lemmings are competitively dominant to voles (
when lemmings are abundant , arctic foxes can survive by mainly feeding on them , but in period of low lemming densities , foxes have to put more effort in preying upon alternative preys such as goose eggs and goslings . since geese fiercely defend their nests against predators , catching eggs and goslings is however a more difficult and risky task than catching lemmings .
lemmings only consume living vegetation . the abundant herbivores have a strong impact on the arctic biome , especially in years with high populations . their impact on arctic vegetation is so extreme that it is visible to satellites . their voracious appetites seem detrimental , but once the plant life is decimated it has the potential to return even stronger . an examination of fenced plots in barrow , alaska , that lemmings were excluded from ( kept out of ) for the last 50 years suggested that sustained lemming activity actually promotes the growth of many plants .
kausrud kl , mysterud a , steen h , vik jo , ostbye e , et al . ( 2008 ) linking climate change to lemming cycles . nature 456 : 93–98 .
pitelka fa ( 1957 ) some aspects of population structure in the short - term cycle of the brown lemming in northern alaska . springs harb symp quant biol 22 : 237–251 .
studies have shown that lemming populations have not peaked in more than a decade . the flat tundra now sprouts willows and shrubs that compete with the grasses and mosses lemmings prefer .
bilodeau f , gauthier g , berteaux d ( 2013 ) effect of snow cover on the vulnerability of lemmings to mammalian predators in the canadian arctic . j mammal 94 : 813–819 .
one year ago , i predicted that there would be a lemming peak all over norway , as a matter of fact , all over scandinavia because the previous year had been very cold , with very good snow conditions and we were then in the middle of a good winter . and true enough , there was a lemming peak last year all over norway .
of the scandinavian lemming when food becomes scarce , that run in their hundreds through the surrounding terrain in search of food , with a few unlucky individuals finding their way off cliffs .
as an index of collared lemming abundance , we used the number of winter nests within designated census areas [ 16 , 19 ] . each year after snowmelt , the entire census area was searched closely for fresh winter nests . upon examination , nests were destroyed to avoid double counts . at both sites , the lemming census area was located on relatively flat tundra , and covered a variety of habitat types . the census area at zackenberg may , however , be regarded as richer and more homogeneous than that on traill island [ 16 ] . for comparison between sites , we therefore applied the site - specific correction factor previously developed by gilg et al . [ 12 ] to convert the lemming winter nest density into lemming density .
gornall jl , jonsdottir is , woodin sj , van der wal r ( 2007 ) arctic mosses govern below - ground environment and ecosystem processes . oecologia 153 : 931–941 . pmid : 17618466
the 20 lemming species belong to 6 genera , which , along with voles and muskrats , are classified in the subfamily arvicolinae of the mouse family ( muridae ) within the order rodentia .
krebs c , danell k , angerbjörn a , agrell j , berteaux d , et al . ( 2003 ) terrestrial trophic dynamics in the canadian arctic . can j zool 81 : 827–843 .
moen j , oksanen l ( 1998 ) long - term exclusion of folivorous mammals in two arctic - alpine plant communities : a test of the hypothesis of exploitation ecosystems . oikos 82 : 333–346
therrien jf , gauthier g , korpimäki e , bêty j ( 2014 ) predation pressure imposed by avian predators suggests summer limitation of small mammal populations in the canadian arctic . ecology 95 : 56–67
fedorov vb , goropashnaya a ( 1999 ) the importance of ice ages in diversification of arctic collared lemmings ( dicrostonyx ) : evidence from the mitochondrial cytochrome b region . hereditas 130 : 301–307 .
lemmings in canada ' s portion of the arctic have yet to show signs of a downturn . the irruption they fuelled last summer has raised public awareness and revolutionised the study of snowy owls .
the team from the university of texas at el paso found when lemmings are excluded from the arctic environment in enclosures in alaska there is an increase in certain plant types called lichens and bryophytes .
soininen em , ravolainen vt , bråthen ka , yoccoz ng , gielly l , et al . ( 2013 ) arctic small rodents have diverse diets and flexible food selection plos one 8 : e68128 .
bilodeau f , kenney aj , gilbert bs , hofer e , gauthier g , et al . ( 2013 ) evaluation of a technique to trap lemmings under the snow . arctic 66 : 32–36 .
rodgers ar , lewis mc ( 1986 ) diet selection in arctic lemmings ( lemmus sibiricus and dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) : demography , home range , and habitat use . can j zool 64 : 2717–2727 .
nils : i think the lemming cycle will come back if the climate changes , but it might take quite a bit of time for the whole ecosystem to recover because when the lemmings are gone , that affects the ptarmigan because when predators have no lemmings to eat then they ' ll go to other species including ptarmigan . it also affects the interaction between the arctic fox and the red fox .
our spatially extensive seasonal monitoring , which happened to encompass the now rare event of a proper lemming outbreak in northern fennoscandia , allowed us to provide a detailed comparison of the topology of the lemming outbreak with the simultaneous dynamics of the gray - sided vole . in accordance with previous studies ( 7 , 8 ) , the lemming exhibited a steeper increase phase than that of the vole . however , the previous studies based their analysis of population growth rates taken at an annual time scale ( fall to fall ) ; i . e . , the population dynamics were not separated into seasonal components . in contrast , we analyzed growth rates for summers ( spring to fall ) and winters ( fall to spring ) separately and thereby can provide unique insights into the basis for the lemming–vole dichotomy .
besides the possibility that lemming–plant interactions are more prone to irregularities ( including a more variable outbreak amplitude ) than vole–predator interactions ( 8 ) , there are two other hypotheses explaining why cyclic lemming outbreaks are impeded while sympatric voles maintain cycling . one assumes that lemmings are more sensitive than voles to climate variation ( 10 , 12 ) . the other emphasizes community processes and predicts that lemming outbreaks are limited by indirect interaction with voles mediated by shared predators ( 13 – 15 ) . to our knowledge , no previous study has evaluated the relative merits of these ( not necessarily mutually exclusive ) hypotheses .
meanwhile plants are creeping inexorably north . the arctic is slowly becoming more green . plants uptake carbon dioxide ( co2 ) when they perform photosynthesis , but release it through respiratory processes and when they decompose .
henttonen h , kaikusalo a ( 1993 ) lemming movements . in : stenseth nc , ims ra ( eds ) the biology of lemmings . linnean society of london . academic press , london , pp 157–186
) was not considered as we analyzed growth rates only during the lemming outbreak period ( fall 2006 to fall 2007 ) . the model considering dynamics during the outbreak summer ( i . e . , r
fedorov vb , stenseth nc ( 2001 ) glacial survival of the norwegian lemming ( lemmus lemmus ) in scandinavia : inference from mitochondrial dna variation . p roy soc b - biol sci 268 : 809–814 .
in conclusion , our study points to the particular adaptations and sensitivities of lemmings to conditions during the alpine–arctic winters , including climate and predation , as the main reason for why lemmings differ from voles in terms of topology and regularity of their outbreaks . continued climatic warming and dampening of vole cycles in tundra ecosystems can be expected to decrease the frequency , amplitude , and geographic range of lemming outbreaks in the future .
willerslev e , davison j , moora m , zobel m , coissac e , et al . ( 2014 ) fifty thousand years of arctic vegetation and megafaunal diet . nature 506 : 47–51 . pmid : 24499916
post e , forchhammer mc , bret - harte ms , callaghan tv , christensen tr , et al . ( 2009 ) ecological dynamics across the arctic associated with recent climate change . science 325 : 1355–1358 .
fedorov vb , fredga k , jarrell gh ( 1999 ) mitochondrial dna variation and the evolutionary history of chromosome races of collared lemmings ( dicrostonyx ) in the eurasian arctic . j evolution biol 12 : 134–145 .
the percentage of known dens that present signs of activity ( either diggings or fresh prey remains ) greatly vary from year to year and can be considered as an indicator of fox abundance . however , the variability of reproductive foxes is not similar but may be explained by the cyclic nature of lemming populations . years with the lowest percentages of dens with pups are years when lemming abundance was the lowest as well .
our study is the first to examine the winter diet of lemmings using dna metabarcoding techniques , as all previous studies have relied on microhistological analysis . due to this novel method , we were able to elucidate lemming winter diets at an unprecedented level of details . our analysis of two sympatric lemming species revealed similarities with previous studies but also some startling differences . interestingly , our results do not fit our prediction that these sympatric species should have clearly different winter diets , as the diet of both species showed a high degree of overlap . diets of both lemming species were by far dominated by salix and moss consumption was relatively low .
fedorov vb ( 1999 ) contrasting mitochondrial dna diversity estimates in two sympatric genera of arctic lemmings ( dicrostonyx : lemmus ) indicate different responses to quaternary environmental fluctuations . p roy soc lond b bio 266 : 621–626 .
reid dg , bilodeau f , krebs cj , gauthier g , kenney aj , et al . ( 2012 ) lemming winter habitat choice : a snow - fencing experiment . oecologia 168 : 935–946 . pmid : 22042523
we used the number of collared lemming winter nests taken over by stoats within the lemming census areas as a proxy of stoat abundance in winter [ 16 , 19 ] , as direct measures are virtually impossible to obtain . in addition , each year , we located all nests of long - tailed skuas and snowy owls within the designated bird census areas . avian productivity ( i . e . number of fledged young produced per hectare ) was estimated from multiple visits to the nests . known arctic fox dens were surveyed multiple times early in the season to verify breeding , while the number of weaned cubs was estimated from visits to the dens in late july . the arctic fox productivity ( i . e . number of weaned cubs produced per ha ) was then estimated by multiplying the density of fox dens known at each site by the mean annual number of weaned young per den . as the survey of dens was not always exhaustive ( see the electronic supplementary material , table s1 ) , arctic fox productivity was in some years weighted by the fraction of dens surveyed [ 17 ] .
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to provide a quantitative , comparative assessment of population trajectories and their potential determinants in lemmings and voles , we analyzed site - specific seasonal ( winter and summer ) growth rates during the lemming outbreak period ( fall 2006 to fall 2007 ) . on average , the norwegian lemming had positive winter growth rates , whereas they were consistently negative in the gray - sided vole ( table 1 and fig . 1 ) . summer growth rates in lemmings and voles were positive , although somewhat lower in the lemmings ( table 1 ) . the degree of spatial coherence in growth rates was assessed by computing moran i statistics . also , this spatial aspect of the seasonal dynamics differed between the lemming and the vole . lemming growth rates exhibited spatial autocorrelation in winter , but not in summer , whereas the gray - sided vole had the opposite seasonal difference ( table 1 ) .
a particular characteristic of these two lemming species is the cyclic nature of their populations . simply , this means the brown and collared lemming populations go through phases of very low to very high densities , depending on food availability . if conditions are good , lemmings can reproduce and have many large litters every year . as a result , their population grows and grows until it reaches a point at which there are not enough plants anymore to sustain all the animals . at this point the population crashes , the vegetation regenerates and the cycle starts over again . on bylot island , 3 to 4 years can pass between two peaks in the lemming population .
shape , size and color of fecal pellets collected in the field have been used as criteria to identify lemming species in previous studies when both brown and collared are present [ 20 , 32 , 52 ] . for the first time , we validated this technique using genetic techniques and showed that it was highly reliable ( > 98 % correct identification ) . thus , misidentification of lemming fecal pellets was not an issue in our study .
to visually illustrate the spatiotemporal features of the lemming outbreak compared with the dynamics of the gray - sided vole in the entire monitoring area , we display spatially averaged outbreak trajectories for six separate subregions ( fig . 1 ) . although all rodent populations simultaneously had converged on very low postoutbreak densities by spring 2008 , the incipient stage of the lemming outbreak differed markedly from that of the gray - sided vole . the onset of the lemming irruption was delayed compared with the onset of the increase phase of voles . from its onset , the lemming outbreak arose steeply to reach sharp peaks simultaneously across the study region in fall 2007 , although with large spatial variation in outbreak amplitude ( i . e . , peak densities ; fig . 1 ) . peak densities also varied in voles , but were reached more gradually , and the dynamics were more spatially asynchronous than in lemmings .
data availability : bryophyte reference library and lemming diet data are deposited at dryad digital repository ( urltoken ) , doi : 10 . 5061 / dryad . 4rr39 . all other relevant data are available as supporting information files .
proximately , the more rapid increase in the lemming was a result of population increase in winter , when the vole populations steeply decreased . population increase during winter in lemmings results from winter reproduction ( 4 , 16 ) —a demographic trait virtually absent in the gray - sided vole ( 14 ) . the recruitment component of lemming winter growth can also explain why only lemmings exhibited density - dependent growth rate in winter , as recruitment in northern rodents appears to be more sensitive to density than adult survival ( 17 ) . in essence , our analysis suggests that the contrasting topologies of the population peaks in lemmings and voles are more likely caused by different intrinsic demographic tactics than different trophic interactions . winter reproduction in lemmings , the only truly arctic small rodent taxon , is likely to have evolved as an adaptation to the 9 - to 10 - mo winter at high latitudes and altitudes . thus , it appears to us that a taxon - specific demographic tactics is the most parsimonious explanation for the propensity for irruptive outbreak dynamics across all lemming species and a range of food web contexts in the circumpolar arctic ( 8 ) .