Dicrostonyx nelsoni
| Nelson's Collared Lemming
(Dicrostonyx nelsoni) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Tribe: | Dicrostonychini |
| Genus: | Dicrostonyx |
| Subgenus: | Dicrostonyx (subgenus) |
| Binomial details | |
| Dicrostonyx nelsoni C. H. Merriam, 1900 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Nelson's Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx nelsoni) is a lemming of western Alaska. Members of the genus Dicrostonyx are the only rodents in North America that turn white in winter.
Description
From Wilson et al. (2017): “Nelson's Collared Lemming is stocky, with relatively short limbs and tail. It is seasonally dimorphic, white in winter and grayish brown in summer. There is usually a reddish collar in summer.”
Members of the genus Dicrostonyx are the only rodents in North America that turn white in winter.
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
| Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holotype USNM 186500 (Norton Sound, Alaska) | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | 118 | 13 | 18 |
Skull
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Holotype: USNM 186500. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Young adult female. St. Michaels (Saint Michael), Norton Sound, Alaska. Collected on an unknown date prior to August 1879. -
UAM:Mamm:43145. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Adult male. Cold Bay Quad, Alaska, United States. Collected 3 September 1995. Dorsal view of the skull. -
UAM:Mamm:43145. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Adult male. Cold Bay Quad, Alaska, United States. Collected 3 September 1995. Lateral view of the skull. -
UAM:Mamm:43145. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Adult male. Cold Bay Quad, Alaska, United States. Collected 3 September 1995. Ventral view of the skull. -
UAM:Mamm:43145. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Adult male. Cold Bay Quad, Alaska, United States. Collected 3 September 1995. Upper incisors, which lack grooves. -
UAM:Mamm:43145. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Adult male. Cold Bay Quad, Alaska, United States. Collected 3 September 1995. Upper molars. M1 and M2 usually terminate with a narrow lingual and labial loop. -
UAM:Mamm:43145. Dicrostonyx nelsoni. Adult male. Cold Bay Quad, Alaska, United States. Collected 3 September 1995. Lower molars. Second and third lower molars (m2 and m3) typically begin with narrow loops.
Similar species
References
Merriam CH. 1900-03-14. Papers from the Harriman Alaska Expedition. I. Descriptions of twenty-six new mammals from Alaska and British North America. Proceedings of the Washington Academy of Sciences 2:13-30.
Wilson DE, Mittermeier RA, Lacher Jr TE. 2017. Cricetidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 204-535, ISBN: 978-84-16728-04-6, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6707142