Small, round, short-tailed rodents of the Arctic tundra and the main prey of most Arctic predators. They do not hibernate: in winter they live in tunnels under the snow, with rest areas, toilet areas and nests. Their numbers boom and crash roughly every four years.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inArctic, Europe, North America, Asia
HabitatPolar
ColoursBrown, Grey, White
SizeTiny
Length13–18 cm
Weight23–34 g
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for1–3 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- In or near the Arctic across North America, Europe and Asia, including Norway and Siberia.
- What it eats
- Mostly mosses and grasses, plus berries, leaves, shoots, roots, bulbs and lichens.
Did you know
They do not throw themselves off cliffs. A 1958 Disney film staged that.
A flattened claw on each front foot helps it dig in snow.
Lemmings live up to 24 months.
Often confused with
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