Russian scientists have discovered a new subspecies of the Norwegian lemming, which inhabits the Bezymyannaya Bay area, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. This is stated on the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation.
They differ from their "Western counterparts" in morphological characteristics. Norwegian lemmings that inhabit Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula have bright orange-black-white colors. Novaya Zemlya have a protective coloration. In addition, the individuals found on Novaya Zemlya turned out to be larger than the Kola-Scandinavian ones.
The scientists have also updated their knowledge about the distribution of the species. The animal itself was attributed to the endemic species of Fennoscandia.
The next step for scientists will be to search for lemmings in other parts of Novaya Zemlya - research work will help understand the natural processes that occur in remote Arctic corners.
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