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Lemmus nigripes

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Beringian Brown Lemming
(Lemmus nigripes)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Myomorphi
Superfamily:Muroidea
Family:Cricetidae
Subfamily:Arvicolinae
Tribe:Lemmini
Genus:Lemmus
Binomial details
Lemmus nigripes (F. W. True, 1894)

Lemmus nigripes was formerly considered a sister species of Lemmus trimucronatus restricted to St. George Island, Pribilof Islands (Davis, 1944). Genetic studies by Spitsyn et al. (2021) found the mean cytb p-distance between the eastern clade of Lemmus trimucronatus and the western clade, which includes northeastern Asia and northwestern North America, is as high as 7.2%, and they thus they were fully supported as separate species-level units. The western clade of Lemmus trimucronatus is now referred to as Lemmus nigripes.

Description

From Davis (1944) describing Lemmus trimucronatus alascensis, which is now Lemmus nigripes: Sexes alike, but variable in color seasonally; dorsally dichromatic, anterior portion from middle of back to nose tawny, lined with blackish, producing a grizzled tawny effect; rump tawny (winter) to dark chestnut (summer); sides from light ochraceous buff (January to April) through fuscous (May to November); under parts buffy, darkest in summer; antiplantar surfaces of hind feet varying from nearly white (darkened median stripe) to completely black; anti-palmar surfaces of front feet sooty. Juvenal pelage short and somber-colored, sooty predominating."

External measurements

No results found.

Variation

This section shows some of the color variation present in Lemmus nigripes. The location is provided for reference only. The individual shown does not necessarily represent the only color variant within the local population.

Skull

  • Dorsal view of the skull of Lemmus nigripes.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Lemmus nigripes.
  • Ventral view of the skull of Lemmus nigripes.
  • Upper incisors of the skull of Lemmus nigripes.

References

Davis WB. 1944. Geographic variation in brown lemmings (Genus Lemmus). The Murrelet 25(2): 19-25.

Spitsyn VM, Bolotov IN, Kondakov AV, Klass AL, Mizin IA, Tomilova AA, Zubrii NA, Gofarov MY. 2021. A new Norwegian Lemming subspecies from Novaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia. Ecologica Montenegrina 40: 93-117.

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