Family: Muridae, Mice and Rats view all from this family

Description Brown above; silvery below. Tail very short, brownish above, lighter below. Ears and eyes inconspicuous. Upper incisors shallowly grooved. L 4 5/8-6 1/8" (118-154 mm); T 1/2 - 7/8" (13-24 mm); HF 5/8- 7/8" (16-24 mm); Wt 3/4-1 3/4 oz (21-50 g).

Similar Species Northern Bog Lemming has rust-colored hair at base of ears. Other voles have ungrooved upper incisors.

Breeding May breed year-round, but not in winter in some areas; 1-8 young per litter; gestation 23-26 days; one female in captivity produced 6 litters in 26 weeks.

Habitat Grassy meadows; sometimes ne forests; often dry broom sedge; seldom bogs.

Range Southeastern Manitoba east to Newfoundland, south to Kansas, ne Arkansas, w North Carolina, and ne Virginia.

Discussion Although called a bog lemming, this species seldom occurs in bogs. Grass and clover form the bulk of its diet; it also sometimes eats fungi and algae. The Southern Bog Lemming lives in a system of subsurface runways and burrows about 6 inches (150 mm) below the ground; it also commonly uses the runways of other small mammals. Its globular grass nest may be placed in an underground chamber or aboveground. Populations of these animals fluctuate greatly; in some years they are abundant, while at other times they seem nonexistent in the same area. Although few records of predation are available, many mammals, birds of prey, and snakes feed upon this lemming.