Mammals · Rodentia · Cricetidae

Norway Lemming

Lemmus lemmus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Norway lemming is a small, plump rodent of the Scandinavian tundra, with a strikingly contrasted coat of black, chestnut and yellow. It stays active through the winter beneath the snow, in tunnels dug in the layer of air between the ground and the snowpack, feeding on mosses and grasses. Its populations fluctuate spectacularly in cycles of three to five years, and those peaks carry the whole ecosystem with them: Arctic foxes, snowy owls and skuas all breed far more successfully in lemming years.

Weight

40 g – 130 g

Size

10 cm – 15 cm

Lifespan

2 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

MountainTundraPolarHerbivore Variable activity Solitary Mountain Tundra Polar Mammal

7countries 6parks9same family

Fun facts

The myth of lemmings committing mass suicide by hurling themselves into the sea is false: it grew out of the mass dispersals of population-peak years and was popularised by a 1958 documentary in which the animals were deliberately driven into the water.
It is remarkably aggressive for its size: rather than flee, it rears up, squeals and launches itself at intruders far larger than itself, people included.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Tundra, peat bogs and alpine scrub of Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula
Sexual maturity: 24 days
Gestation / incubation: 19 days
Litter / clutch size: 7

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmus_lemmus