Steppe lemming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steppe lemming
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Arvicolinae
Genus:	Lagurus
Species:	L. lagurus
Binomial name
Lagurus lagurus (Pallas, 1773)
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The steppe lemming or steppe vole (Lagurus lagurus) is a small, light-grey rodent. It looks a bit like the Norway lemming, but they are not closely related. Steppe lemmings eat plants like shoots and leaves. They are mostly active at night, but you might see them during the day too.

In the wild, these lemmings live in dry, grassy areas called steppes and semiarid places. You can find them in countries like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, northwestern China, and western Mongolia. Long ago, their fossils have even been found as far west as Great Britain.

What Do Steppe Lemmings Look Like?

A steppe lemming's body can be up to 12 cm long. Its tail is about 2 cm, which is a bit shorter than its back foot. It usually weighs around 30 grams. These lemmings have small eyes and ears. Their fur is a brownish-grey color, and they have a black stripe down their back.

Where Do Steppe Lemmings Live?

You can find this lemming in steppes, forest-steppes, and semidesert areas. They live in western Mongolia, northwest China, and many parts of the former USSR. They are also found in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the southern and middle Ural region, and western and eastern Siberia.

Steppe Lemming Life and Habits

Steppe lemmings are social animals that live in groups. They dig long tunnels underground. They spend some time underground but also come to the surface for short periods during the day. They eat different parts of plants, including seeds.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Steppe lemmings can have babies when they are only six weeks old. A female can have up to six litters (groups of babies) in one year. Each litter usually has five or six young lemmings. If conditions are good, they can keep having babies all year long.

The number of steppe lemmings can change a lot. This depends on the weather and how much food is available. When there are many lemmings, they sometimes move to new areas.

Steppe Lemmings as Pets

Steppe lemmings are the most common type of vole kept as pets, especially in Europe. In the US and Canada, they are still seen as unusual pets.

In captivity, they can live for over two years. It's important to give them a large cage, bigger than average, especially for a group of them. Steppe lemmings are naturally social and should not be kept alone. However, if a group lives together for a long time (two to three months), they might start to fight, especially with weaker members.

If you have only one nesting area, it should have two entrances or exits. This helps if one lemming tries to block another. Steppe lemmings can be very territorial. It's best to have fewer males in a group. A good number for one cage or aquarium is three to eight lemmings. Try to have no more than one male for every two or three females.

What to Feed Your Steppe Lemming

Regular rodent food with dried fruit is not good for them. Steppe lemmings don't eat much sugar in the wild. They can get sick or even die from too much sugar, as they are somewhat like humans with diabetes.

You should use sugar-free food that does not have dried fruit or many oily seeds like sunflower seeds. Special lab rodent food can be a good and cheap choice. Steppe lemmings also need grass and other leafy greens, like alfalfa, to stay healthy.

Be careful with grass from outside. It might have parasites or harmful chemicals. Only use grass from clean meadows, far from roads or places where dogs or other animals go often. Any grass or moss, even for bedding, should be put in a freezer for three days. This helps kill parasites like lice and mites.

Always provide clean water. The amount they drink depends on what they eat. Give them Willow twigs to chew on. This helps keep their teeth short, as their teeth grow all the time. Lemmings can drink from a shallow dish, but they might get bedding in it. A bottle with a ball valve is usually better.

Exercise and Playtime

Lemmings love to run and climb. However, in their natural home, the ground is mostly flat. This means they are not very good at judging heights or danger. So, their cages should not be so high that they can fall more than 10–15 cm. The bottom of the cage should have wood chips and hay.

An exercise wheel is a great way to keep them busy and active. If the wheel is big enough, they might even run in it together. But sometimes, fights can happen around wheels. It's a good idea to have several wheels, maybe even one for each lemming, especially if you have males.

Understanding Aggression in Steppe Lemmings

Why Do Steppe Lemmings Fight?

Generally, steppe lemmings are friendly and prefer to live in groups. Even small groups of males, especially if they are from the same family, can live peacefully. However, males can be territorial. A grown-up male who is the leader might attack a new lemming. He might also be mean to other males from his own family, especially if their home is too crowded.

A large cage (about 5–10 cm of wood chips covered by about 10 cm of hay) can help a group live more peacefully. Fights are more likely in smaller spaces with less bedding. Fights or accidents can also happen in or around exercise wheels. If a male starts to be aggressive, even with a new lemming, you should watch him very carefully.

What Happens During Fights and How to Help

An aggressive lemming will try to trap another lemming in a corner. Then, it will attack with its teeth and short claws. You might hear excited chirps, chattering, and running during a fight. Often, the whole group will be upset. While this might seem interesting to new owners, it's important to watch closely. Peaceful lemming groups are usually much quieter.

Lemmings like to nest in small, tight spaces. So, if they have a small box to hide in, it's important for it to have a second exit. This way, the lemming being attacked can escape to another part of the cage.

If a lemming gets hurt in a fight, you should move it to a separate cage as soon as possible. Lemmings tend to scratch and lick their wounds, which can make them heal slowly. A vet might give you medicine like antibiotics to help an injured lemming. It can be hard to get an injured lemming to drink medicine. A good trick is to put drops of medicine on its nose. The lemming will lick itself clean and swallow the medicine.

Images for kids

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  A steppe lemming