Lemming facts for kids
A lemming is a small rodent that lives in cold places. You can usually find them in or near the Arctic. They live in tundra areas, which are vast, treeless plains. Lemmings are part of a larger group of animals. This group includes voles and muskrats. They are also related to rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. There's a famous old story about lemmings. It says they all jump off cliffs together, but this is just a myth!
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What Do Lemmings Look Like?
Lemmings are small, furry creatures. They are about 13 to 18 centimeters long. This is roughly the length of a common pencil. They weigh about 23 to 34 grams, which is very light. They have a round body shape. Their fur is long, soft, and usually brown and black. Lemmings have a very short tail. They also have a small, hairy snout, short legs, and tiny ears. A special flattened claw on their front feet helps them dig in the snow.
What Do Lemmings Eat?
Lemmings are herbivores. This means they only eat plants. Their favorite foods are mosses and grasses. They also dig through the snow to find other tasty treats. These include berries, leaves, roots, and lichens. Like many rodents, their front teeth, called incisors, never stop growing. This allows them to chew on tough plants without wearing their teeth down.
How Lemmings Survive Winter
Lemmings do not hibernate during the cold Arctic winter. Instead, they stay active all year long! They find food by digging tunnels under the snow. These tunnels are like secret highways. They protect lemmings from cold weather and hungry predators. Inside their burrows, lemmings have special rooms. They have areas for resting, for their "bathroom," and for building nests. They make cozy nests from grasses, feathers, and even muskox wool. When spring arrives, they move to higher ground. They live in mountain areas or forests. They keep having babies before returning to the tundra in the autumn.
Why Lemming Populations Change
Lemming populations can change a lot over time. Like many rodents, their numbers sometimes grow very quickly. This is called a "population boom." When there are too many lemmings, they spread out. They look for new food and homes. This happens because their usual habitat cannot support so many animals. For example, the Norway lemming and West Siberian lemming reproduce very fast. Their numbers can go up and down in a big way. Scientists are still studying why lemming populations change so much. These changes happen roughly every four years. After a boom, their numbers can drop very low.
Lemmings also act differently from many other rodents. Most rodents try to hide from predators. They have colors that help them blend in. But lemmings have bright colors. They also act bravely towards predators and even people. Scientists think their bright colors and bold behavior are a warning. It's like saying, "Stay away!" When there are many lemmings, their predators also have more food. This can cause predators like snowy owls to move to new areas. For a long time, people thought lemming numbers changed on their own. Now, some scientists believe that predators, like the stoat, might also play a big role.
Lemming Family Tree
Lemmings belong to the animal group called Rodentia. This group includes all rodents. They are part of a larger family that includes voles and muskrats. There are different types of lemmings. Some well-known kinds include the Norway lemming and the collared lemming. Each type has its own scientific name, like Lemmus lemmus for the Norway lemming.
See also
In Spanish: Leminos para niños
