Steppe Lemming (Lagurus lagurus)
| Steppe Lemming Lagurus lagurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Steppe Lemming |
| Name Lat. | Lagurus lagurus |
| Family | Cricetid Rodents |
| Family lat. | Cricetidae |
| Order | Rodents |
| Order lat. | Rodentia |
| Origin | Europe, Asia |
| Climate | Temperate - subtropical |
| Habitat | Steppe, semi-desert |
| Diet | Grain, green fodder, insects |
| Behavior | ♂ territorial |
| Keeping | Pair, harem |
| Care Level | Easy |
| Life Span | 1-2 years |
| Protection | No |
| Metric Units | |
| Size | 8-12 cm |
| Temperature | Room temperature |
| Housing | A: 0.5 m² / H: 50-60 cm |
| US Units | |
| Size | 3.1"-4.7" |
| Temperature | Room temperature |
| Housing | 5 ft² / 20" hight |
Distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the predominantly crepuscular Gray Steppe Lemmings extends from Ukraine to western Mongolia. They live there in the hot, treeless steppes and semi-deserts in self-dug burrows and as cultural successors near settlements.
Maintenance
Minimum dimensions for the enclosure:
| 1-2 animals | area: 0,5 m² | height: 50-60 cm |
| Each additional animal | Area: + 20 |
A terrarium that is placed in a bright (no direct sunlight), draft-free and quiet place is recommended, with ventilation openings on the sides, and it must not be tightly closed at the top. The enclosure should be diversely structured with stones, roots and branches, and provide hiding and shelter opportunities (rodent houses, tubes, clay caves, etc.). They need food and drinking containers (drinking bottles), a sand bath (chinchilla sand) for fur care, nesting material (hay, straw, etc.) and a graveable substrate (tunneling) made of commercially available small animal litter, terrarium humus or a sand-peat mixture covered with some bark mulch, dry leaves, hay and straw. The bedding depth should be at least 15 cm, better 20 cm. Nail material, such as untreated twigs and branches of fruit trees, as well as a rodent stone, must always be available to wear down their teeth. They should be kept at room temperature, although cool temperatures are better tolerated. Attention should be paid to their natural day-night rhythm.
Diet
They feed seasonally on different food. The species-specific diet consists of a low-fat grain mixture, available in specialist shops as "gerbil food", supplemented with fodder hay, cob millet, which also serves to keep them occupied, some green fodder (root vegetables, wild herbs, zucchini, etc.) and a mineral stone. In addition, they need animal protein, such as live insects (crickets, house crickets, mealybug larvae), cottage cheese, natural yogurt, a hard-boiled hen's egg or insect food for hedgehogs. Fruit must be offered only rarely and in very small quantities, since fructose quickly leads to constipation. Water must always be available in hanging bottles or in stable, open containers and, like food, must be offered fresh daily
A varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.
Behaviour and compatibility
They are social animals and should be kept at least in pairs, but better in a group of 4-6 animals. A group should always consist of more females than males. Males are often incompatible with each other. However, in pet keeping Steppe Lemmings often tend to be territorial. At the first sign of incompatibility, separate the animals immediately.
Reproduction and breeding
Testes can be clearly seen in sexually mature males, and the distance between the anus and the urethral opening is greater in juvenile males than in females.
The gestation period is about 20 days. A litter consists on average of 6-8 young, which are born blind and naked and weigh little more than one gram. They develop very fast, eat solid food already after 10-13 days and are sexually mature already after 30-45 days. However, mating should not take place until after the 3rd month. Life expectancy is about 1.5-2.5 years.
Important
It has been proven to cover one part of the enclosure with litter and the other part with terrarium humus or a sand-peat mixture for digging. It is recommended to provide variety by changing furnishings and occasional rearrangement.
Running wheels must be injury-proof, have a closed running surface and back wall, with a diameter that allows the animals to run without bending their backs. As escape animals, they need sufficient retreat and hiding places, so the enclosure should also be somewhat elevated and not placed on the floor
Care should be taken to ensure thorough hygiene and contamination should be removed regularly.
Further literature can be found in your pet store.
References
Text: petdata; Image: petdata
Source: W. PUSCHMANN, D. ZSCHEILE, K. ZSCHEILE (2009): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Säugetiere, Harri Deutsch Verlag; SISTERMANN (2008): Steppenlemmige und andere Wühlmäuse, Natur und Tierverlag; BMEL (2014): Gutachten über Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Säugetieren
- Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF