Arctic Lemming
Arctic Lemming
(Dicrostonyx torquatus), a mammal of the family Cricetidae of the order Rodentia. The body length is 13–15 cm, and the tail length, 1.6–2 cm. In the summer the fur is reddish brown with small spots and a black stripe along the back; there is a light band around the neck. In the winter the fur is white. The claws are long; on the middle toe of the forefeet they grow exceedingly long by winter. The arctic lemming is distributed in the tundras of Europe (except for the Kola Peninsula), Asia, and North America.