Norwegian lemmings inhabit the tundra and fells of Norway, the northern reaches of Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. These round, six-inch rodents—called lemen in Norwegian—do not hibernate. They happily tunnel under the snows of the harsh, Arctic winter, seeking out their favorite foods: sedges, grasses and mosses. When summer breezes melt their icy hideaways, they migrate south, where their patchy black, orange and yellow fur stands out brightly against the rocky landscape. They are neither nocturnal nor diurnal, randomly dividing their time between frenetic foraging and power napping.
The lemmings of Norway are not meek. They do not run and hide when facing danger. You can find several videos online featuring one going head-to-head with a very confused predator. They charge forward, baring their long teeth and emitting supersonic squeaks, declaring, “Stay away. I bite. I bite hard. Don’t mess with me. Just go away. Go away now.” You can watch a sample of this behavior in a video titled Fearless attack lemming. While intimidating, this display doesn’t always work. Lemmings are a very important food source for several creatures, including the Arctic fox, which is endangered in Norway.
Lemming numbers fluctuate wildly, and every 3 or 4 years, there is a population explosion. Floods of wayward lemmings run amok in every direction. They are usually solitary creatures, except when mating, so having so little personal space must be especially stressful for them. They roam far and wide, migrating across long distances to explore new lands, and frankly, just to get the heck away from each other.
These wild population outbreaks have led to several myths. In the Middle Ages, it was conjectured that the rotund rodents fell from the sky during thunderstorms and then dissolved into the earth with the emergence of spring grasses and flowers. The Walt Disney corporation infamously perpetuated another legend, that lemmings purposely commit mass suicide in reaction to overpopulation. Sadly, a production team intentionally flung a herd of lemmings off a cliff to their deaths, just for the opportunity to film a scene for the supposed nature documentary of 1958, “White Wilderness.”
You do not need to invent drama to enjoy these fierce and adorable creatures. Learn more about the fascinating Norwegian lemming and its environment in this short film, “Lemming – The Little Giant of the North.”