West Virginia mammals

Southern Bog Lemming in West Virginia

Synaptomys cooperi

Native to West Virginia S3 Vulnerable in West Virginia

Not listed as nonindigenous in West Virginia by USGS NAS; native to its West Virginia range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

AI-generated image: Southern bog lemming alert among wet sedges and sphagnum at a bog edge. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyAI-generated image: Southern bog lemming moving through bog sedges. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyAI-generated image: Southern bog lemming sitting on sphagnum moss. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy
AI-generated image No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracySouthern bog lemming alert among wet sedges and sphagnum at a bog edgeAI-generated image No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracySouthern bog lemming moving through bog sedgesAI-generated image No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracySouthern bog lemming sitting on sphagnum moss

Southern Bog Lemming in West Virginia, by the numbers

Occasional in West Virginia 35th most recorded of 77 mammals logged in West Virginia

29 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

29 total records count every West Virginia occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 20 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Southern Bog Lemming in West Virginia

Most sightings fall in October.

20 West Virginia occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly West Virginia records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February4
March0
April1
May0
June5
July1
August0
September0
October7
November0
December2

Monthly southern bog lemming occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in West Virginia, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in West Virginia, with recorded sightings peaking in October, with a smaller rise in June.

Occurrence map

Where Southern Bog Lemming has been recorded in West Virginia

29 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

29 West Virginia records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Coopers Rock State Forest 1

Protected places with the most southern bog lemming sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in West Virginia

CountyRecords
Pendleton County 9
Pocahontas County 6
Greenbrier County 4
Randolph County 3
Monongalia County 3
Tucker County 1
Wayne County 1
Hampshire County 1
Marion County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 9 West Virginia counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

West Virginia’s overlay contains 29 southern bog lemming records for 2000–2026, all from GBIF, while the dated monthly series accounts for 20 of them. October is highest with seven, followed by June with five and February with four. Those database records do not estimate lemming abundance.

The species is ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in West Virginia. The Ohio River valley, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and local wildlife management areas are the three search leads, but nine months with zero or one dated entry prevent a firm seasonal or geographic conclusion.

AI-generated image: Southern bog lemming alert among wet sedges and sphagnum at a bog edge. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy
Full species profile Southern Bog Lemming Synaptomys cooperi Size 11.8 cm4.6 in Weight 35 g1.2 oz Lifespan Up to 2.5 yr View the full profile

More mammals in West Virginia in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"