What does a mouse eat in the tundra? - briefly
In the tundra, the rodent feeds primarily on tundra grasses, mosses, lichens, and occasional insects or seeds. Seasonal fluctuations shift the balance between plant material and invertebrate prey.
What does a mouse eat in the tundra? - in detail
In the Arctic tundra, a small rodent subsists on a seasonal mix of plant and animal matter. During the brief summer, abundant vegetation provides the primary energy source. The diet includes:
- Grasses and sedges, especially the tender shoots and seed heads.
- Mosses and lichens, harvested from the surface layer.
- Leafy herbs such as dwarf willow and Arctic poppy.
- Seeds from low‑lying shrubs, notably crowberry and bearberry.
- Invertebrates, chiefly springtails, aphids and beetle larvae, consumed opportunistically when they appear on the ground or in the vegetation.
Winter forces a shift toward stored resources and opportunistic foraging. The mouse relies on cached seeds and the limited growth of mosses and lichens that persist under snow cover. Occasional ingestion of dead insects or carrion supplements protein intake when plant material is scarce.
Physiological adaptations support this diet. A high‑efficiency digestive tract extracts nutrients from fibrous tundra flora, while a rapid metabolic rate enables the processing of short‑term food surpluses during the brief thaw. Seasonal fat accumulation, derived mainly from seed and insect consumption, provides insulation and energy reserves for the cold months.
Research indicates that dietary flexibility is crucial for survival in this extreme environment. Variation in food availability across years leads to corresponding fluctuations in population density, as reproductive success directly depends on the quantity and quality of the consumed resources. «The ability to exploit both plant and animal sources distinguishes tundra‑dwelling mice from their temperate counterparts.»