ifec By Tyler grade 4 Enemies and Defense Inuit Uses Characteristics Babies Food Lifecycle Habitat Where I got my Info

Lifecycle In some places life gets too crowded and lemmings go whacko and see a cliff and jump off into water and drown, but some people say this a myth. Life gets too crowded about every 3 years. If there were not enough lemmings a lot of animals especially snowy owls would be dead. Some people say lemmings fall off the cliff not jump off.

Enemies and Defense The lemming’s worst enemies are weasels, arctic foxes, arctic wolves, wolverines, snowy owls, and jaegers. Many drown trying to cross-rivers or get eaten by trout. Lemmings can run fast and hide in snowy burrows for protection. Weasels chase lemmings down their burrows and eat them.

Characteristics Large lemmings can grow from 4 to 5 ½ inches (100 to 135 mm) they also have a 1-inch (12 to 26 mm) tail. Lemmings have heavy fur grayish or brownish above and buffy underneath. The lemmings ears and tails are so small their almost hidden under fur.

Babies A female lemming can have seven liters a year. In each liter there are usually 11 babies. Females become an adult in only 30 days and mate. The liter size is usually 7.3 young. 11 days after they’re born they open their eyes and in 15 days they can walk.

Food In the summer lemmings eat tender grass and sedges. In the winter lemmings eat bark, twigs, willow and dwarf birch. To survive the snowy harsh winters the lemmings store whatever food they can find, mostly berries and twigs in a cache. Lemmings usually eat berries or twigs.

Habitat Their winter nests are usually in lowland areas where there is snow that makes good insulation. Lemmings like to live in the cold marshes, woods, tundra and meadows in north, North America. Their underground burrows are interesting; they have bathrooms, nesting areas and resting areas. Lemmings make paths through grass, which are called runways.

Inuit Uses Inuit do not eat lemmings, nor do they make any use of their small skins. However, those Inuit who support themselves in whole or in part by trapping benefit indirectly from the "run" of arctic foxes that follows each lemming peak.

Where I got my info fap/lemming/lemming.html hww- fap.cfm?ID_species=61&lang=e