Brown Lemming - Sierra Club BC
Skip to content
Brown Lemming

CAN BE FOUND IN:

Brown Lemming

Lemmus sibiricus 

appearance

Lemmings are the smallest mammals in the high arctic. They grow about 15 centimetres long and have tiny ears and short tails hidden in their thick brown fur. 

range & habitat

Brown lemmings are found from northern B.C. through the Canadian arctic. They build grass nests on the ground and tunnel into the snow to keep warm in the winter. 

reciprocal relationships

Brown lemmings love to live in the cold! They like to eat mostly arctic grasses and moss. At the start of the winter, lemmings grow two very large claws on each of their front feet to help them dig a hole through the snow to reach their grass nests. They don’t hibernate and spend the winter looking for food and moving to keep warm.
  
Lemmings give birth in both summer and winter and most lemmings live less than a year. Their population numbers fluctuate frequently, though their numbers soar approximately every four years. Lemmings are important food for snowy owls, falcons, weasels and other animals in the Arctic. 

Lemmings can be found in the tundra and their populations have been stewarded through protection of alpine meadows, streams and banks. Lemmings have been eaten by the Inuit in the Keewatin District, Iglulik and Netsilik Inuit. However, due to their size they are not a significant part of the diet.  

status

COSEWIC: Not Reported 
CDC: Not Reported 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.

photo credit

Canva

Related Species

Filter by Taxonomy

Filter by EcoProvince

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

The American kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America and weighs only 3 or 4 ounces.

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

American white pelicans are some of the largest birds in North America. They hunt together, driving small schools of fish into each other’s bill pouches.

Arctic tern

Arctic tern

Arctic terns are unique birds with gifts of persistence and resourcefulness. These birds must fly great distances, and in doing so they have a diet with a variety of sea life.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald eagles are found all over B.C. and the U.S. The largest populations in North America live in B.C. and Alaska.

Banana Slug

Banana Slug

Banana slugs are important decomposers in our coastal rainforest. They are nocturnal feeders, eating decaying animals, mushrooms, and plants.

Beaver

Beaver

The beaver possesses many gifts! They are adept at swimming, building, and tree chomping.

Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn Sheep

The bighorn sheep are important primary consumers in the food chain. They are vegetarians, eating grasses, bushes and leaves.

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

These iconic Canadian birds are also called the ‘black and white creeper’ because they creep along tree trunks looking for tasty insects.

Black Bear

Black Bear

Black bears and Pacific salmon play an important part in maintaining our forest ecosystems.

Bocaccio Rockfish

Bocaccio Rockfish

Bocaccio rockfish are important consumers. These fish eat smaller fish such as anchovies, mackerel, squid and other rockfish.

Bonaparte's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

These gulls nest in large numbers and produce two to three eggs at a time. These gulls are gifted with agility.

Boreal Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee

Boreal chickadees are an important indicator species of boreal ecosystems!