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Animal profile

Norway Lemming

Lemmus lemmus

MammaliaAlpine tundra, mires and birch scrub of FennoscandiaLeast Concern

Field profile

The Norway lemming is a boldly patterned tundra rodent that stays active all winter beneath the snow, feeding on mosses and sedges. Its numbers rise and crash in multi-year cycles that drive the breeding success of Arctic foxes, snowy owls and skuas. It is conspicuously aggressive when confronted.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-09-04

Norway Lemming

Lemmings do not commit mass suicide

The image of lemmings hurling themselves off cliffs comes largely from a 1958 Disney documentary in which the animals were driven off a bank for the camera. Real lemmings disperse when crowded, and some drown attempting water crossings.

Read with evidence →

Norway Lemming | Daily Animal Facts