Nelson's Collared Lemming

Nelson's Collared LemmingThe Mammal Diversity Database lists Nelson's Collared Lemming as a species. An older Alaska account treats it under the former subspecies name D. g. nelsoni and describes collared lemmings broadly, so its coat and diet details are not presented as traits proved for this species alone.What does it look like?Collared lemmings are stocky and thick-furred. Their summer coat ranges from gray to reddish brown, with dark lines on the back and sides of the head. In winter most have white fur and enlarged front claws for digging through snow and ice.How does it live?The Mammal Diversity Database lists Nelson's Collared Lemming as a species. An older Alaska account treats it under the former subspecies name D. g. nelsoni and describes collared lemmings broadly, so its coat and diet details are not presented as traits proved for this species alone.The Alaska account lists grasses, sedges, bearberry, and cottongrass as summer foods, and willow twigs and buds as winter foods for collared lemmings.Keeping it safeAn extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.