The Collared Lemming is the only rodent in the world that turns completely white in winter, a seasonal molt that provides camouflage against Arctic snow. In winter, its front claws enlarge into double-pronged digging tools for excavating vegetation beneath packed snow. These lemmings are well adapted to the harshest Arctic environments and form a critical base of the High Arctic food web.
Habitat
High Arctic tundra, rocky barrens, and snowfields
Diet
Willows, sedges, forbs, and mosses
How common
Uncommon
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