Lemmings are small animals that resemble hamsters and voles in appearance and lifestyle. The second name for lemmings is polar pieds. From a zoological point of view, this animal belongs to the order of rodents and the subfamily of voles. Lemmings are the eternal inhabitants of tundras and forest-tundras. In this article you will learn what lemmings look like and what they eat in the tundra. It is not surprising, but in such harsh living conditions these animals feel quite comfortable. This is explained by the fact that from time to time they carry out barbaric invasions of foreign lands. First things first.
What do lemmings look like?
Before telling where exactly lemmings live and what they eat in the tundra, it would be advisable to learn about the features of their appearance. These are small mouse-like animals. The length of their body does not exceed 15 cm, 2 cm of which is the tail. The weight of the animal is 20-70 g. The fur of these creatures is long and thick, has a yellow-brown color with dark spots. The animal's paws and tail are painted pure yellow, and its abdomen is sandy. A distinctive feature of lemmings are two yellow stripes located on the muzzle and extending from the eyes. In winter, the animal’s fur becomes very light (white), and the claws on its front paws grow even stronger.
Lemmings. Where do they live?
We will find out what these creatures eat a little later, but now it’s worth considering the question of where they live. Lemmings are common in tundras and forest-tundras (partially) of North America and Eurasia. Several species of these creatures have survived on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Zoologists' favorite places to study lemmings are northern swamps, for example, in Scandinavia.
There are 6 species of lemmings living on the territory of the Russian Federation. They are distributed from Chukotka and the Far East. These include the following lemmings:
- forest;
- Norwegian;
- Siberian;
- ungulate;
- Amur;
- Vinogradov's lemming.
What do lemmings eat in the tundra?
As mentioned above, lemmings are rodents. Since these creatures live in the tundra, their food is stunted northern plants, for example, the so-called various rhizomes, catkins. They do not make reserves for the winter. Animals can build their nests directly on the ground under the snow, spending the whole winter in them. At this time, they feed on the root parts of certain tundra plants. They are not used to often going hungry during the winter.
Lemmings. Lifestyle
Lemmings and the tundra cannot exist without each other, however, some species of these creatures are still not confined to their “northern home”, but from time to time make seasonal migrations. They go to the so-called “summer pastures” - to regions with a mild climate. There the animals feed on mosses, sedges, shrubs, etc. By the way, they are active all year round. After a long journey, a lemming can eat twice its own weight in one day! On “summer pastures” these animals are ready to eat throughout the whole day, taking only short breaks.
Zoologists who have observed how lemmings live and eat in the tundra note one interesting feature: every 15-20 years, these brave creatures leave their northern lands in large numbers, setting off on long journeys. It is curious that neither mountains nor rivers stop this living wave of lemmings. There have been cases when animals crowded en masse into fishing boats, which could not stand the weight of them and sank to the bottom.
Such invasions cause enormous damage to agriculture, because the little wanderers have a truly brutal appetite, devouring everything in their path! Fortunately, the cold climate and the presence of certain enemies significantly reduce the number of these rodents. At this time, you can observe a massive death of lemmings: the ground for many thousands of kilometers is strewn with their corpses.
Real brave men!
Lemmings, whose description and feeding in the tundra we reviewed in this article, are real brave men! For example, as soon as a stranger gets close to a lemming’s hole, the latter immediately jumps out bravely, stands on its hind legs, squeaks, grunts and tries in every possible way to bite him. In general, these creatures attack at any opportunity. At the same time, lemmings are not even embarrassed by the fact that the enemy can be several times larger than the owner of the mink! This often plays a cruel joke on them: they become dinner for wild dogs and cats.
Seasonal variability. Wild mammals in temperate and cold zones usually change their hair coat twice a year. This change of hair, called molting, occurs in spring and autumn, and accordingly it is called spring and autumn. Observations have established that in tropical countries and in the far north, animals living there shed only once a year, and it occurs gradually. In mammals that live primarily in water, there is no noticeable spring or autumn molting. In some species of seals, molting occurs only in the spring.
When animals are domesticated, molting becomes irregular, so much so that in some areas of the skin hair change does not occur at all.
In connection with molting, a distinction is made between winter and summer hair. In most fur-bearing animals, the winter and summer coats differ in height, density, different quantitative ratios of guard and down hairs, shape, structure, hair color, thickness and density of skin tissue.
The greatest differences are in the structure of winter and summer hair in fur-bearing animals living in a continental climate, characterized by sharp seasonal changes in temperature. Summer hair is shorter, coarser, and less dense than winter hair. The downy hair is poorly developed.
In some species of fur-bearing animals, summer hair differs from winter hair in color, for example, the white hare, ermine, and white arctic fox, which change their white winter fur to dark summer fur.
The leather tissue of summer skins is coarsely porous and for the most part thicker than that of winter skins. The roots of the guard hairs are located so deep in the skin tissue that black dots can be observed in some places on the fleshy side. The fleshy side of the skin has a blackish, bluish or greenish color. Summer skins have little value. Their extraction in the USSR is prohibited by law for the vast majority of animal species.
Winter skins have long, fine and thick hair. Downy hair predominates in the hairline. The skin tissue on the flesh side is uniformly white.
The skins reach their fullest pubescence by the beginning of winter. The skins obtained at this time are called full-haired. By this time, the hairline acquires the best color for this type of animal.
The skins of different fur-bearing animals in different areas reach their greatest “maturity” at different times (in our latitudes between November and February).
The change of hair, called molting, does not occur simultaneously on all parts of the animal’s body; in some places it occurs earlier, in others later. The sequence of hair change in individual areas of different animal species is also different.
Molting begins in areas of the body called “molting centers” and then spreads to adjacent areas in a sequence characteristic of each species. In some animals, shedding begins from the rump, and then spreads to the ridge, hips, scruff, head, paws and womb; in others, molting proceeds in the reverse order, starting from the head and ending at the rump.
The periodic change of hair is determined by the cyclical nature of its development, characterized by the replacement of flask-shaped hairs that have completed their growth with growing new papillary hairs.
Shedding is associated with the formation of colored, usually dark spots visible on the fleshy side of dried raw hides. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that in dark places there are deep and closely lying pigmented hair roots. As the hair grows, its roots are freed from pigment and the color of the spot disappears. Therefore, in the light areas of the inner skin there are always grown or light, non-pigmented hairs that are in the growth stage.
The time of molting also depends on the age of the animal. Thus, in many species of fur-bearing animals, the molting of young animals occurs somewhat later than in adults.
There is also a dependence of molting on the sex of the animal. In the spring, female fur-bearing animals of many species shed earlier than males and their molting proceeds more rapidly.
Most species of fur-bearing animals shed twice a year. Animals that hibernate in winter molt once a year. The mole sheds three times a year.
Double molting during the year occurs in the squirrel, water rat, thin-toed ground squirrel, white hare, brown hare, sable, marten, weasel, ermine, arctic fox, and mink.
Fur-bearing animals that hibernate (gopher, marmot, chipmunk, badger) do not develop new hair during their 7-9 month hibernation. They have one long molt of hair, which begins in the spring and ends by the time they hibernate.
This means that these animals do not have summer fur. In summer they are covered with thinning winter fur, consisting mainly of faded, dull, guard hairs.
Age variability. The hair and skin of fur-bearing animals and animals undergo significant changes with age, with the most dramatic changes observed at an early age. As a rule, newborn babies, growing up, at the end of the lactation period change their primary hair coat to another, secondary one, different in structure and color from the primary one. Age variability is characteristic of the hair coat of sheep, seals and white foxes.
Typically, the primary hairline differs from the secondary one in being more soft, tender and velvety; guard hairs are thin, differing little from fluff in thickness and length (which is why the primary hair coat is often called fluffy).
The primary hair coat also differs from the secondary one in its color, which is most often darker than the color of adult individuals. The exception is the white coloration of the lush hair of newborn seal pups (whites). The hair of adult seals is dark in color and less luxuriant.
The skin tissue of skins covered with primary hair is thin, loose and fragile.
Secondary hair is close in quality to the fur of an adult animal.
Due to the fact that the quality of the skins of young fur-bearing animals is low, their fishing is prohibited (with the exception of fishing for pests - wolves, jackals, gophers).
Age variability is expressed differently in most farm and domestic animals, in which the skins of their young produce the most valuable fur product (astrakhan fur, smushka, foal, goat, opoek). But even for this group of animals there are exceptions: the skins of rabbits, cats, and dogs with primary hair are of little value.
Sexual variability. The hair and skin of males and females of fur-bearing animals has some differences. These differences are relatively subtle and are expressed in the size of the skins, the length and thickness of the hair, as well as the thickness of the leather tissue.
The skins of male fur-bearing animals, except beavers, are larger than the skins of females.
Males, with rare exceptions, have more luxuriant and coarser hair (black polecat, weasel weasel, bear). In some animal species, males, unlike females, have a mane (fur seals, rams).
The skin tissue of the skins of males is thicker than that of females. Individual variability.
In a batch of skins of the same type, age and sex, obtained in the same area and at the same time of year, it is often difficult to find two completely identical skins in color, height, thickness and softness of the hair. This is explained by the individual (personal) variability of animals, independent of gender, age, season and habitat.
Individual variability in the hair of fur-bearing animals, agricultural and domestic animals is a serious factor that complicates the sorting of fur raw materials and semi-finished products, as it requires an individual assessment of the quality of each skin.
In different types of fur-bearing animals, individual variability is expressed differently. For example, in otter skins it is weakly expressed, but in sable skins, on the contrary, it is very strong.
A batch of sable skins, received from one region and one variety, can be so diverse that it has to be divided into groups according to color, fluffiness, softness and other characteristics of the hair.
In agricultural and domestic animals, individual variability in hair coat is no less pronounced than in wild fur-bearing animals.
For example, in the skins of Karakul lambs, individual differences in the nature, structure and size of hair curls are so great that when sorting the skins, they are divided into dozens of varieties of varying quality and value. In domestic animals, even belonging to the same breed, individual variability in hair color is observed. An example is the same astrakhan skins, which come in black, gray, brown and other colors.
The life of a lemming - a small furry animal that inhabits the tundra - has been shrouded in mystical legends and secrets for centuries, but let's look at lemmings from a scientific angle. With a body length of about fifteen centimeters, the lemming’s tail does not reach three centimeters in length. The animal's tiny ears, tail and paws are thickly covered with fur, including the lemming's feet. As for the claws on the front paws, they are longer than the fingers, and the first claw is slightly forked.
Lemmings chose mountain tundras, Arctic islands and forest-tundras as their habitats. By the way, the lemming’s dense fur allows it to feel very comfortable in northern settlements and the taiga, although the number of animals in these areas is limited. Swampy and wet places are a true paradise for their life!
If we talk about the population lemmings, then it is constantly changing. For example, every three to five years the number of these animals increases sharply, they show aggressiveness and are absolutely not afraid of people. In other years, on the contrary, it is rare to see lemmings and the thought of their extinction involuntarily arises, although this is far from the case.
Please note an interesting fact: the so-called “lemming years” almost always indicate an increase in the population of bank voles in the forests and ungulate lemmings. Approximately once every thirty to forty years, real outbreaks of growth in the population of animals occur, which often leads to their mass migrations in search of food.
Not only do they flood mountain valleys, but they also try to cross bays and rivers, which is why they die in large numbers. If you think that the high population of lemmings is directly related to their “colonial” life, then you are in vain.
In fact, lemmings can be called selfish people who only care about themselves. As a rule, the behavior of these rodents towards each other is often aggressive, and their famous mass migrations are an optical illusion, since each animal moves alone. The only exception is external obstacles, which encourage lemmings to unite and work together to overcome the obstacle that has arisen.
One thing that definitely doesn't require energy drinks is lemmings. One can only envy the activity of these rodents, because they are full of energy around the clock! As a rule, the main “diet” of a lemming consists of pasture - the bark of shrubs, moss, mushrooms, moss, cereals, sedges and other herbaceous plants. Lemmings also do not disdain berries, insects and shed deer antlers, which they completely gnaw off.
Heavy snow in recent winter months often forces lemmings to come to the surface and actively search for food. On the one hand, such a small animal is unlikely to cause fear in humans, but some people are still wary of lemmings. The panic was caused by a number of rumors, according to which hungry lemmings practically destroyed the town of N, and the grass never grew on the road they trampled.
Many peoples consider the lemming a mystical animal, because in winter its claws take the form of hooves and its fur turns white. In other words, during the full moon, lemmings become were-rams and drink wolf blood.
Superstitious people are sure: a howling lemming on the top of a date palm on a new moon “howls” about great grief. “Lemming suicides” cause a lot of speculation among people. Note that the topic of mass lemming suicides was even touched upon in a children's book, where a young lemming tried to find the answer to the main question: Why do lemmings always throw themselves off cliffs?
Sometimes mass suicides of lemmings are associated with their sacrifice to the inhabitants of other worlds. Scientists explain such “suicides” of rodents as follows: during mass migrations, when lemmings actively reproduce and migrate in search of food, they often run into the sea, river or other water barrier, but can no longer stop and die. By the way, not all lemmings die, but only the “pioneers.” As for reproduction, a female can bring up to thirty cubs per year, but the lemming’s life is short - it lasts only one or two years.
Owners of furry four-legged pets are well aware of the period when their pet’s fur is found absolutely everywhere, and even in food. This causes a lot of inconvenience, but is a completely normal physiological process. Not only cats and dogs are susceptible to shedding, but also other representatives of terrestrial vertebrates. All of them require special attention during this period. What and how to do during molting - we will tell you further.
What is shedding
Molting is a natural process during which the outer covering of an animal changes. For each class of tetrapods this process has a specific character. So, reptiles change the top layer of skin, the epidermis. Mammals and birds change their skin (feathers, fur, wool). Insects are capable of shedding body parts during the molting process.
Mammals and birds are characterized by seasonal molting. They change their plumage and fur from warmer to lighter, and vice versa. Along with the density of the cover, its color may also change.
Pets that shed
Pets that are susceptible to shedding include:
- (canines);
- birds (etc.);
- lizards;
- amphibians ( );
Did you know? The Latin name for all four-legged animals, Tetrapoda, comes from the merger of two ancient Greek words: τετράς, which means« four» , and πούς -« leg» .
Features of the molting process in pets
We have already said that for each class of terrestrial vertebrates, the change in cover has its own characteristics. We will talk about them further.
In dogs
Natural shedding in dogs and all canines is seasonal (spring and autumn). Seasonal molting does not last long, a week or two. Young individuals experience this phenomenon for the first time at six months of age. To make it easier for your four-legged pet to cope with a change in coat, it must be brushed every day so that the fur can recover faster and tangles do not form.
The more intensely you brush your pet, the less hair will be scattered throughout the living space. It should also be taken into account that each type of wool should have its own approach. Smooth-haired dogs need to be combed and dried with a hard towel. Long-haired dogs need to be combed and trimmed.
During the molting period, the animal's behavior may change, since this process is quite energy-consuming. The dog may lose weight and become more lethargic, lazy, and passive. To keep an animal's body in good shape, it is necessary to change its diet, making it more nutritious. You should also add more vitamins to the menu. Special vitamin complexes can be found in veterinary pharmacies.
Breeds that shed the least:
- some
- and some others.
Important!Pets living in apartments can shed year-round, or the period of seasonal shedding can be shifted. This is due to the constant high temperature and dry air in the room. Therefore, it is advisable to take the dog outside as often as possible so that shedding occurs at a certain time.
In cats
Little kittens exchange their soft baby coat for a coarse adult coat at five to seven months of age. This can last from several weeks to several months. It all depends on the breed. When the hairline has changed from child to adult, seasonal molting begins. It happens twice a year, in spring and autumn. Its duration is two to three months.
During this period, the cat becomes less active. To make the change of fur coat easier for the animal, it must be fed in a balanced manner and given a full range of vitamins. You should also brush your pet daily to rid it of dead hair and stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles for faster growth of new hair.
If you notice that your cat has been shedding for longer than three months and its fur is dull, unhealthy, and falling out in clumps, you should contact your veterinarian. Perhaps there are some deviations in the pet’s health.
To prevent unnatural changes in cover, you should:
- regularly examine your pet for bald spots, bumps or spots on the skin;
- enrich your cat’s diet with B vitamins, choose more suitable food for his coat type and age;
- Regularly treat your pet for fleas, ticks and worms.
Breeds of low-shedding cats:
In birds
Parrots and canaries are common bird pets in apartments.
Parrots are characterized by seasonal molting. The change of plumage occurs gradually, and therefore the behavior of the bird does not change. During this period, it is enough to introduce minerals, vitamins, and amino acids into the diet. They will help the plumage recover faster. The bird should also be restricted from free flight. If a bleeding wound has formed at the site of the fallen feather, it must be treated with a solution of ferric chloride.
Canaries change their plumage once a year, and this process lasts about a month. The young animals are still undergoing a juvenile molt, during which the fluff is replaced by feathers. This happens in the second or third months of life and lasts until the chicks reach six months of age. The end of the juvenile moult indicates the achievement of sexual maturity.
Changing plumage in canaries is more energy-consuming than in parrots. Therefore, during this period their voice disappears, their appetite is lost, and their temperature rises. If the change of plumage occurs in the warm season, then the cage with the bird should be taken out into the fresh air under the sun's rays. In the cold season, it is necessary to create artificial lighting using fluorescent lamps. You need to include greens, fruits, berries, vegetables, eggshells, ash, and clay in your diet.
Important!Try to disturb the birds as little as possible. If they get scared, they can easily injure their fragile feathers on the bars of the cage.
In spiders
In spiders, changes in cover occur constantly, starting from birth. This is how their exoskeleton grows and develops. Newly born spiders molt about once a month. In older individuals, the interval between exoskeleton changes is two to three months. In adults, this process occurs once every three years. The approach of molting is indicated by darkening of the exposed area of the abdomen.
The process of replacing the exoskeleton in arachnids can be divided into four stages: pre-molt, molt, post-molt and inter-molt stage. At the initial stage, a new exoskeleton is formed. Hormones are responsible for this. Because of this, the spider becomes very aggressive. Pre-molt lasts from several days to two to three weeks. During the molting stage, arthropods create excess pressure inside themselves, thus tearing the old exoskeleton.
This may take them from several minutes to several hours. During the post-molt stage, arthropods are very vulnerable.
Their new “shell” is still very soft, so they are not able to move and hunt normally. Recovery may take from several days to a month, depending on the age of the animal. At the last stage, the spider is completely restored and returns to its usual rhythm of life.
Did you know?During molting, arthropods are able to regenerate previously lost limbs.
In amphibians
Amphibians replace the top layer of their skin as they wear it down. This usually happens in the summer. The frequency of the process depends on the ambient temperature.
They molt regularly throughout their lives, since the animal’s growth does not stop, and the skin does not grow. The cover peels off in one piece. It cracks in one area of the body, and the amphibian crawls out of it. To help themselves get rid of the old cover, animals rub against stones or snags. Some representatives of amphibians (frogs, salamanders) immediately eat old skin.
During the molting period, the main thing is:
- Take cats and dogs for walks more often.
- Birds, spiders, amphibians and reptiles should be disturbed as little as possible.
- Nutrition should be as balanced and varied as possible. Vitamins and minerals should be included in the diet. In the menu of mammals you need to introduce fish oil, sea fish, and liver.
- Cats and dogs need to be brushed regularly. To clean the fur from dirt, it is advisable to use dry shampoos that strengthen the hair.
Since, according to molecular phylogenetics, these groups are related to each other, they have recently been united under the name Ecdysosoa- Shedding. In these groups, molting is reduced to periodic shedding and replacement of the cuticle. Before molting, the inner layers of the old cuticle dissolve, and underneath the hypodermal cells secrete a new cuticle. After a molt, the animal rapidly increases in size (usually by absorbing water or "inflating" with air) until the new cuticle hardens, after which growth ceases until the next molt (periodic growth).
Nematodes have larvae that molt (usually there are four larval stages); adult nematodes do not grow or molt. In most groups of arthropods (crustaceans, spiders, etc.), molting and growth continue throughout life.
see also
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Synonyms:See what “Molt” is in other dictionaries:
Periodic change of outer skin and decomposition. their formations (cuticles, scales, wool, feathers, etc.) in animals. It can be age-related (passes in the first months of life), seasonal (during certain seasons of the year) and constant (throughout... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
MOLTING, the process of shedding and replacing the outer layers of the body's integument. Mammals shed their outer layers of skin and hair when they shed, often during certain seasons of the year. A person does not shed, however, he constantly sheds dead dry hair... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
MOLTING, molting, many. no, female (specialist.). Same as shedding. Molting of the beast. Autumn molt. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Noun fading Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Context 5.0 Informatics. 2012. molting noun, number of synonyms: 2 molting (3) ... Synonym dictionary
Periodic change of external integument (chitin, wool, and plumage) in animals. Regulation of molting occurs with the participation of hormones... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
MOLD (yay, yay, 1 and 2 l. not used), yay; nesov. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
MOLTING- periodic change of hair in mammals, feathers and horny formations in birds, the upper keratinized layer of skin in reptiles and cuticle in arthropods. Ecological encyclopedic dictionary. Chisinau: Home… … Ecological dictionary
MOLTING- MOLTING, see Epidermis... Great Medical Encyclopedia
molting- Periodic change of external integument in animals; can be age-related, seasonal and permanent; In invertebrates, L., as a rule, is associated with the stages of individual development, and in vertebrates with adaptability to external conditions. [Arefyev V... Technical Translator's Guide
MOLTING- seasonal change of hair. U L. The covering hair is replaced twice a year in spring and autumn. During L. for the skin of L. take special care, carefully clean it, removing loose hair... Horse breeding guide
Books
- Robin in the north of its range. Volume 2. Molting and migration, V. B. Zimin. The second part of the monograph “Robin in the north of its range” summarizes the research on the migrations and molting of birds of this species. For the first time, the processes of emigration, settlement and immigration are described in detail...
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