Lemmus lemmus (Linnaeus 1758)

[Mus] lemmus Linnaeus 1758, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., Vol. 1: 59.

Type Locality: Sweden, Lappmark.

Vernacular Names: Norway Lemming.

Synonyms: Lemmus borealis Nilsson 1829; Lemmus iterator (Gistel 1850); Lemmus norvegicus Desmarest 1822 .

Distribution: Mountains of Scandinavia and tundra from W Norway and Sweden to Kola (Kolskiy) Peninsula at W margin of the White Sea (NW Russia).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: European populations reviewed by Tast (1982 a) and Mitchell-Jones et al. (1999); Russia segment reviewed by Gromov and Erbajeva (1995). Phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome b haplotypes has revealed appreciable nucleotide divergence between Scandinavian and Siberian samples (Fedorov et al., 1999 b); that genetic characterization, in combination with unique pelage coloration, supports the specific integrity of L. lemmus relative to the geographically allopatric L. sibiricus . Although now absent from the British Isles, the species occurred there during the Pleistocene and Late Glacial (Late Palaeolithic) times (Sutcliffe and Kowalski, 1976; Yalden, 1999).