Everyone has probably heard the name lemming, but few will immediately answer you what kind of animal it is and where it lives. We can say that a lemming is wild hamster, it belongs to the rodent family. In nature there are up to 20 different types animals, but their differences are not so significant. The size of an adult reaches 10-15 cm, it will easily fit in your palm.

This little one fluffy has red-brown fur, often spotted, even pockmarked. Usually the color of different species is slightly different, it depends on where the lemming lives, because its color serves as a kind of camouflage from predators. In winter, some animals can change their coat color to a lighter color, which makes them less noticeable against the background white snow. The change of coat from winter to summer and back occurs during seasonal molting.

And yet, where does the lemming live? Lemmings live mainly in tundra and forest-tundra. There's a lot of food here. The lemming is a herbivore, feeding on mosses, grass, roots of shrubs and sedges. These rodents eat almost all the small vegetation that they come across on their way, thus they can eat up quite large areas of surrounding vegetation. These lemmings cause significant damage to nature. They eat constantly; in a day they can eat twice as much as the animal itself weighs. During short breaks, if the lemming does not eat, then it stores food.

Where do lemmings live, you ask? This is interesting, but in the summer these animals lead a more nomadic lifestyle. For wintering, rodents make nest houses for themselves from the same food right under the snow. Some types of rodents summer period dig holes among the roots of bushes. For example, the Norwegian lemming digs a short distance tunnels at the foot of the hills, which end in a round hole. The bottom of the hole is covered with moss or dry grass.

Lifestyle Features

In general, this is a solitary animal, but during the winter they can unite, forming entire settlement houses with many passages. In summer, you will often find a female lemming in houses. Here she breeds her offspring, and the male spends time looking for food. They do not hibernate, they reproduce all year round, due to which the population can greatly increase.

Lemmings serve as the main source of food for such predators, like martens, stoats, foxes and wolves. Predators help regulate the lemming population. For most birds of prey rodents are easy prey, especially in winter period.

Duration The life of an animal is on average two years. A female can give birth to up to 10-12 offspring throughout her life. An average of 5-6 cubs are born in one litter.

Science identifies 4 types of lemmings. Each genus has several species. Several species live in Russia. They inhabit Siberia, the Arctic and the entire territory from Far East and Chukotka to the Kola Peninsula. In Siberia, lemmings can settle in forest areas where moss grows - one of the main types of food for these furry creatures. They can also eat berries, seeds of cones, bark of shrubs and young trees. Some species can feed on insects.

The names of the species of this animal often come from the habitat of the individuals. Forest lemmings live mainly in various forests; their population is not so large, unlike those that inhabit the steppes. This lemming almost never eats grass, preferring various types moss. If the number of forest lemmings increases greatly, then they may migrate to the nearest cities.

Types of Lemmings

The most numerous species has Siberian lemming. It has the most extensive habitat, inhabiting the tundra of Eurasia, the north and north-west of Russia, the Northern Islands Arctic Ocean. In winter, the coat color changes to lighter.

Populations Norwegian Lemmings are also not numerous; they inhabit some areas of Sweden, the northern part of Finland, Kola Peninsula. Here they can be found on peat bogs, mountain ridges and slopes. As populations increase, they may migrate to countryside. Their wool does not get wet, it has a natural water-repellent coating. Natural refuges and shelters are most often used as burrows rather than digging holes themselves.

Rare species

Amursky The species is quite rare. It can be found between the Kolma and Lena rivers and in the southeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. This species is smaller than the others, and its summer coat color is similar to that of a chipmunk. Winter fur is much longer than summer fur and is silkier to the touch.

Another type is ungulate lemming. It received this name because with the onset of cold weather, two claws on their front paws greatly increase in size. This makes it easier for them to build tunnels in the snow and get food. In general, the paws of this type of rodent are much more densely covered with long fur all year round. This is a consequence of adaptation to the cold Arctic climate.

Most great view- this is a lemming Vinogradova, named after the Soviet biologist-naturalist. The size of an adult can reach 17 cm. This species is protected state reserve Wrangel Island, because he lives only here. They build burrow-dwellings, going deep up to one and a half meters; the area of ​​such a hut can reach up to 30 meters in area and have many passages both inside and several exits to the outside.

Behavior in nature

Watching the animal is enough Interesting. This is a very active animal; it almost always scurries between hummocks in search of food. Sometimes you can catch them sitting by their holes, squealing loudly and quickly waving their paws. In this way they try to drive away potential enemies and notify neighbors of possible danger. It's quite a cute sight.

Each animal is absolutely independent and depends little on the place, except for females during breeding. But when the population of a species increases greatly, from the outside it may seem that they are moving in an organized flock.

Lemmings are carriers of some species infectious diseases dangerous for people, you should not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables collected in places where these creatures live.

Portable infections:

• tularemia
• hemorrhagic fever
• leptospirosis
• alveolar echinococcosis
• tick-borne encephalitis and rabies (presumably)

It is quite difficult to make lemmings live in captivity; they need a certain climate and quite specific food. Despite their small stature and cute appearance, these rodents are quite aggressive and can easily attack.

The life of the lemming - a small furry animal that inhabits the tundra - has been shrouded for centuries mystical legends and mysteries, but let's look at lemmings from a scientific angle. With a body length of about fifteen centimeters, the lemming’s tail does not reach three centimeters in length. The animal's tiny ears, tail and paws are thickly covered with fur, including the lemming's feet. As for the claws on the front paws, they are longer than the fingers, and the first claw is slightly forked.

Lemmings chose mountain tundras, Arctic islands and forest-tundras as their habitats. By the way, the lemming’s dense fur allows it to feel very comfortable in northern settlements and the taiga, although the number of animals in these areas is limited. Swampy and wet places are a true paradise for their life!

If we talk about the population lemmings, then it is constantly changing. For example, every three to five years the number of these animals increases sharply, they show aggressiveness and are absolutely not afraid of people. In other years, on the contrary, it is rare to see lemmings and the thought of their extinction involuntarily arises, although this is far from the case.

Please note an interesting fact: the so-called “lemming years” almost always indicate an increase in the population of bank voles in the forests and ungulate lemmings. Approximately once every thirty to forty years, real outbreaks of growth in the population of animals occur, which often leads to their mass migrations in search of food.

Not only do they flood mountain valleys, but they also try to cross bays and rivers, which is why they die in large quantities. If you think that the high population of lemmings is directly related to their “colonial” life, then you are in vain.

In fact, lemmings can be called selfish people who only care about themselves. As a rule, the behavior of these rodents towards each other is often aggressive, and their famous mass migrations are an optical illusion, since each animal moves alone. The only exception external obstacles are considered to encourage lemmings to unite and work together to overcome the obstacle that has arisen.

One thing that definitely doesn't require energy drinks is lemmings. One can only envy the activity of these rodents, because they are full of energy around the clock! As a rule, the main “diet” of a lemming consists of pasture - the bark of shrubs, moss, mushrooms, moss, cereals, sedges and other herbaceous plants. Lemmings also do not disdain berries, insects and shed deer antlers, which they completely gnaw off.

Heavy snow lately winter months often forces lemmings to come to the surface and actively search for food. On the one hand, such a small animal is unlikely to cause fear in humans, but some people are still wary of lemmings. The panic was caused by a number of rumors, according to which hungry lemmings practically destroyed the town of N, and the grass never grew on the road they trampled.

Many peoples consider the lemming a mystical animal, because in winter its claws take the form of hooves and its fur turns white. In other words, during the full moon, lemmings become were-rams and drink wolf blood.

Superstitious people are sure: a howling lemming on the top of a date palm on a new moon “howls” about great sorrow. “Lemming suicides” cause a lot of speculation among people. Note that the topic of mass lemming suicides was even touched upon in a children's book, where a young lemming tried to find the answer to the main question: Why do lemmings always throw themselves off cliffs?

Sometimes mass suicides of lemmings are associated with their sacrifice to the inhabitants of other worlds. Scientists explain such “suicides” of rodents as follows: during mass migrations, when lemmings actively reproduce and migrate in search of food, they often run into the sea, river or other water barrier, but can no longer stop and die. By the way, not all lemmings die, but only the “pioneers.” As for reproduction, a female can bring up to thirty cubs per year, but the lemming’s life is short - it lasts only one or two years.

Lemmings belong to the rodent family. Externally, the animal strongly resembles a small hamster, has short ears and small tail. The length of the animal does not exceed 15 cm, and it weighs no more than 80 grams. The lemming's coat is usually a solid gray or brown shade. Sometimes there are representatives with light inclusions. In nature, there are several varieties of animals and some of them become white in winter.

Features of behavior

Lemmings - interesting facts about behavioral characteristics. The main habitat of animals is considered to be tundra and forest-tundra North America. Some species of lemmings live in Eurasia, on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. The dense undercoat allows the animal to feel comfortable in the northern regions.

Lemmings are considered loners; they do not tend to live in a pack. Scientists often call such animals selfish, since they never live in colonies and only care about themselves. They try to make burrows at a considerable distance from each other and do not get along well with other representatives of the animal world. When meeting a person, a lemming expresses its dissatisfaction by standing on its hind legs, and it begins to make shrill sounds. You should not tempt fate and approach the animal at such a moment, since with a high degree of probability the lemming will bite. Despite such belligerence, the animals are not able to protect themselves from serious predators. The main danger to them are stoats and owls.

Animals love to eat food plant origin. The best treat for them are young shoots of trees and shrubs, fresh grass, moss, berries. In search of a source of energy, they do not disdain the antlers of deer, which can be completely chewed off. The lemming will not refuse delicacies in the form of insects. The small animal is distinguished by its great gluttony. In one day he is able to eat twice as much food own weight. Because of this feature, lemmings cannot constantly live in one place, and they are forced to constantly move in search of food. The love of travel is inherent in them by nature, so they are not at all afraid of various obstacles in the form of bodies of water or human settlements. Often their carelessness leads to death; many animals die every year under the wheels of cars.

In winter, the animal’s claws turn into peculiar hooves.

This is a very brave animal, it can attack a person, a dog and even a cat (in defense). Apparently harsh conditions the north hardened this small rodent.

kids

Lemmings are highly fertile. Even low temperatures are not an obstacle to reproduction, so females bear offspring even in winter. She gives birth twice a year, bringing 5 or 6 cubs. If there is no shortage of food, then the female can bear offspring 3 times a year, and the number of cubs can reach ten.

To raise their babies, adult lemmings make huge settlements, and build nests of grass for their babies. After two weeks of life, little lemmings gain complete independence. At the age of two months they become adults and are able to bear offspring. Average duration The animal is 2 years old.

Often scientists cannot determine whether lemmings actually live in a particular area, and it is almost impossible to calculate their numbers. The fact is that the animal is very careful and almost never leaves its shelter during the day. It is also not easy to detect it at night, since it never goes out into open areas and constantly hides among moss and stones.

Approximately every 30 years there is an increase in the animal population. With a strong increase in the number of lemmings in one area, very unusual behavior is observed. Animals begin a mass migration south to the sea. Having reached the water, they swim away from the shore and often drown. Today, scientists have not been able to find an explanation for this phenomenon. Perhaps the animals just want to move forward. When encountering an obstacle in the form of the sea on their way, animals simply do not want to stop, but they also cannot overcome it.

MOLT MOLT

periodic change of external skin and diff. their formations (cuticles, scales, wool, feathers, etc.) in animals. It can be age-related (passes in the first months of life), seasonal (during certain seasons of the year) and constant (throughout the whole year). The onset of L. depends on the stage of development, age, hormonal state of the body, as well as on external conditions. environment - temperature, photoperiod and other factors. In invertebrates L. (characteristic of age-related L. mainly for arthropods) consists of periodic. the larva shedding the old cuticular cover and replacing it with a new one. Regulated by hormones - ecdysone, juvenile, brain and sinus glands. L. provides the ability to change the shape and increase the size of the animal’s body, which grows until the newly formed cover (exoskeleton) becomes tight and begins to inhibit growth, then the animal sheds again. In insects, the number of flies varies from 3 (flies) or 4-5 (orthoptera, bugs, butterflies, etc.) to 25-30 (mayflies, stoneflies). In vertebrates L. is associated with adaptation to certain seasons of the year and the restoration of worn-out integuments. Regulated by hormones endocrine system. In amphibians and reptiles, phlegm consists of shedding and renewing the upper stratum corneum of the skin and occurs throughout the summer, and their frequency (from 2 to 6) depends on the temperature of the environment. In amphibians, lizards, and snakes, the ligament covers all parts of the body at the same time (in snakes, the upper keratinized layer of skin - the protrusion - comes off entirely). In crocodiles and turtles, the molt is partial (in turtles, parts of the body that are not covered with a shell molt). Birds molt feathers, as well as horny formations on their legs and beak. Beginning of L. in plural. birds is associated with changes in length daylight hours; Moreover, the periods of flight, reproduction, and migration are usually separated. in time. Types of L. are different. So, when the chick emerges from the egg, it is dressed in embryonic down, which is replaced by the so-called. nesting plumage of contour feathers, then complete or partial post-nesting feathering occurs. The replacement of all feathers usually takes place by the end of summer, when the beautiful breeding plumage is replaced by less bright winter plumage. In certain groups (Anseriformes, rails, cranes, etc.), tail feathers and flight feathers fall out simultaneously with covert feathers, as a result of which the bird loses the ability to fly (for example, ducks - for 20-35 days, swans - for almost 1, 5 months). Sedentary small birds have more feathers in their winter plumage than in their summer plumage, which provides better thermal insulation in winter (for example, siskins have 2100-2400 feathers in winter, and about 1500 in summer). In mammals, age-related and seasonal hair loss is accompanied by a change in hair coat (for example, the soft hair of a young individual is replaced by the coarser hair of an adult animal), changes in its thickness (more than doubled in winter) and color. In typical diggers (mole, mole rat), the hairline of which wears out quickly, except for seasonal, sometimes permanent, so-called. compensatory, L., promoting the restoration of hair. Animals living in conditions with sudden changes cold winter and hot summers, shed quickly, inhabitants of the tropics and semi-aquatic animals (muskrat, nutria, sea otter) - gradually. Most mammals molt twice a year - in spring and autumn, some animals (for example, seals, marmots, ground squirrels, jerboas) - once.

.(Source: Biological encyclopedic dictionary." Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial team: A. A. Babaev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - 2nd ed., corrected. - M.: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1986.)

molt

Periodic change of external integument (chitinous, cuticular, scaly, plumage and fur) in animals. Characteristic of arthropods and terrestrial vertebrates. It can be permanent, seasonal and age-related. Constant shedding occurs throughout the year, seasonal shedding occurs in certain seasons, and age-related shedding occurs more often at an early stage of an animal’s life. The onset of molting depends on internal (age, stage of development, physiological state, etc.) and external (temperature and humidity, length of daylight hours, etc.) factors. The molting process is regulated by hormones.
Arthropods are characterized by ch. arr. age-related molting, in which the old cuticular cover is shed and short time increased body growth is replaced by a new, stretchable one. In various insects, from 3 to 25-30 age moults can occur.
In vertebrates, molting can be seasonal or constant, the so-called. compensatory, associated with the restoration of constantly wearing out body coverings (for example, in a mole, whose hairline quickly wears out due to its burrowing lifestyle). Amphibians and reptiles shed the upper stratum corneum of their skin throughout the summer (from 2 to 6 times), depending on the temperature of their environment. The molting of snakes is peculiar: the surface layer of skin, having begun to separate on the jaws, gradually comes off entirely, turning inside out, forming the so-called. crawl out. Transparent fused eyelids also change. In lizards, molting occurs in parts, in patches. In turtles, molting occurs in areas free of shell.
In birds, molting can occur 2 or 3 times a year, which is associated with seasonal polymorphism and change wedding attire to winter plumage and vice versa. Some birds molt gradually without losing their ability to fly. Others, mainly inhabitants of forests and bushes from the family. chickens, shed old feathers quickly, so during the molting period they cannot fly and hide in the thickets. Ducks, geese, swans, loons and rails lose all the flight feathers on their wings and tail feathers, and therefore are not capable of flight for quite a long time (up to 1-1.5 months). At this time, they usually gather in huge flocks in remote, hard-to-reach places. When birds molt, the structure and number of feathers change: by winter, their number and density increases by about 1.5 times, and the downy layer increases.
Mammals molt 1-2 times a year, with one coat of hair being replaced by another, for example. winter - summer and vice versa; the soft hair of cubs is a coarser coat characteristic of adults. The rate of molting directly depends on the speed of change from cold winter to hot summer.

.(Source: “Biology. Modern illustrated encyclopedia.” Chief editor A. P. Gorkin; M.: Rosman, 2006.)

Synonyms:

See what "MOLTING" is in other dictionaries:

MOLTING, the process of shedding and replacing the outer layers of the body's integument. Mammals shed their outer layers of skin and hair when they shed, often during certain seasons of the year. A person does not shed, however, he constantly sheds dead dry hair... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

MOLTING, molting, many. no, female (specialist.). Same as shedding. Molting of the beast. Autumn molt. Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Noun fading Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Context 5.0 Informatics. 2012. molting noun, number of synonyms: 2 molting (3) ... Dictionary of synonyms

Periodic change of external integument (chitin, wool, and plumage) in animals. Regulation of molting occurs with the participation of hormones... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

MOLD (yay, yay, 1 and 2 l. not used), yay; nesov. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

MOLTING- periodic change of hair in mammals, feathers and horny formations in birds, the upper keratinized layer of skin in reptiles and cuticle in arthropods. Ecological encyclopedic dictionary. Chisinau: Home… … Ecological dictionary

MOLTING- MOLTING, see Epidermis... Great Medical Encyclopedia

molting- Periodic change of external integument in animals; can be age-related, seasonal and permanent; in invertebrates L., as a rule, is associated with stages individual development, and in vertebrates with adaptability to external conditions. [Arefyev V... Technical Translator's Guide

MOLTING- seasonal change of hair. U L. The covering hair is replaced twice a year in spring and autumn. During L. for the skin of L. take special care, carefully clean it, removing loose hair... Horse breeding guide

A wolf in the molting stage (Moscow Zoo, June). Molting is a process of changing the integument of animals, which has a diverse nature. Among invertebrates, the typical tench is ... Wikipedia

Mass suicides - lemmings October 19th, 2013

Thousands of these tiny animals rush simultaneously in search of food. Many peoples consider the lemming a mystical animal, because in winter its claws take the form of hooves and its fur turns white. In other words, during the full moon, lemmings become were-rams and drink wolf blood.

Superstitious people are sure: a howling lemming on the top of a date palm on a new moon “howls” about great grief. “Lemming suicides” cause a lot of speculation among people. Note that the topic of mass lemming suicides was even touched upon in a children's book, where a young lemming tried to find the answer to the main question: Why do lemmings always throw themselves off cliffs?

Sometimes mass suicides of lemmings are associated with their sacrifice to the inhabitants of other worlds. Scientists explain such “suicides” of rodents as follows: during mass migrations, when lemmings actively reproduce and migrate in search of food, they often run into the sea, river or other water barrier, but can no longer stop and die. By the way, not all lemmings die, but only the “pioneers.”

Mass movements of lemmings are by no means a senseless suicide; they are a rush for food, sometimes ending tragically. The resulting decline in lemming populations helps maintain the delicate balance that exists between the various animals in the Arctic ecosystem.

There are three types of lemmings: the Norwegian lemming is found in Norway and some areas of Russia; the Siberian or brown lemming lives in Russia, Alaska and Canada; Hoofed lemmings are very widespread throughout the Arctic, including Greenland. Lemmings are touching furry animals, about 13 cm high. They mainly brown, although the Norwegian lemming is more typical dark spots on the head and back. The hoofed lemming changes its skin from brown to white in winter, which makes it invisible in the snow.

These small rodents spend the winter under the snow, nestling in the gaps created by the steam rising from the more warm earth after it is covered with cold snow. Where there are no gaps, lemmings dig their own tunnels and live and breed in this warm underground world. A female can give birth to up to six litters of five to six young each year, meaning she can have up to 36 young in a year. Young females can produce their first litter at just two to three months of age, so a female born in March may have grandchildren by September. The number of lemmings born depends on the amount of food and the weather. When the snow begins to melt, lemmings are forced to the surface in search of food. The scarcity of vegetation limits their number, but once every three to four years, when there is an abundance of food, the growth of the lemming population causes an outbreak.

The Arctic tundra is unable to support the colossal population of lemmings, and the tiny animals are forced to frantically search for food. They even start eating poisonous plants, and at times become aggressive and attack larger animals. In a desperate bid to find food, lemmings undertake mass migrations. Thousands of tiny rodents rush across the tundra in a furry wave in search of new territories. Wolves, foxes and even fish swallow this easy prey, which does not try to escape. When lemmings run into a river or sea on their way, the animals in front cannot stop because they are being pressed from behind. They try to swim, but almost all die.

The large number of lemmings also increases the population of predators that feed on them, including arctic fox, ermine, snowy owl and other birds of prey. When the lemming population is low, these birds and animals have to look for other prey. White owl does not even lay eggs if there are not enough lemmings to feed the chicks, and gray foxes leave the tundra and go hunting in endless forests, to the south. Thus, life cycle Many polar animals depend on this small rodent, highlighting the fragile balance between prey and predator in the kingdom of the icy north.

The Norwegian, Siberian (or Ob) and hoofed lemmings are widely represented in Russia; the latter inhabits the mountain tundra. The hoofed lemming turns white in the winter, and the claws of its front paws grow greatly, merging at their bases and forming something like sharp hooves. Lemmings use them to tear through the snow in search of food and when making winter nests.

Lemmings have colonized the tundra everywhere. The paths trodden by them furrow the surface of the earth in literally all directions and lead to where there is any vegetation: thickets of dwarf willows and birches, bushes of flowering herbs, moss cushions and mats of lichens. Feeding on various parts of plants, lemmings follow a certain regimen, strictly alternating food intake with sleep: they feed for an hour, sleep for 2 hours, feed again for an hour and sleep again for 2 hours. And so all day long.

Lemmings are quite vicious animals that do not tolerate the presence of their own kind. They make shallow burrows at some distance from other burrows and often get into fights with their neighbors. When meeting a person or animal, they behave aggressively: they jump in their direction, rise on their hind legs, grab an outstretched stick with their teeth, whistle and squeal shrilly. However, this behavior does not save them from the numerous predatory inhabitants of the tundra, for which lemmings are one of the main food items.

In winter, lemmings make tunnels under the snow, looking for shoots, fruits and seeds of evergreen plants. Under dense snow cover, they not only have food, but also reliable protection from blizzards and frosts, so they do not hibernate and can even reproduce.

Usually during the year, females bring 5-6 cubs in each litter twice, but when favorable conditions occur weather conditions and the availability of food, their fertility increases sharply (females give birth to 8-10 sucklings three times a year) and therefore the total number of animals increases enormously. In such years, the entire tundra is teeming with lemmings, their minks are found at every step. As a result, vegetation begins to quickly disappear, eaten by many animals, famine sets in, epizootics appear among animals weakened from malnutrition, and there is not enough space for new generations to settle. Many animals fall prey to various predators (snowy owls, skuas, gulls, arctic foxes, etc.), which take advantage of the increased opportunity to profit from numerous prey. Finally, the moment comes when a mass migration of lemmings occurs (emigration). Mainly the young ones, together with some of the older ones, leave their native places and rush uncontrollably in some direction.

At first they walk alone at some distance from each other, and then, when they reach some obstacle (river, lake, cliff), they form clusters. The resulting avalanche of living bodies continues to move in the same direction, overcoming all obstacles on the way: the animals climb over settlements, streams and rivers, rocky ledges, etc. Having reached the seashore, lemmings rush into the water and swim until they drown away from land. The corpses of rodents killed in the water are eaten by seagulls, predatory fish, octopuses. On land, moving lemmings are hunted by arctic foxes, foxes, owls, buzzards and even sled dogs, and are sometimes eaten reindeer. As a result, the number of these animals is greatly reduced, and the next year they become rare. Subsequently, the number of lemmings reaches its normal level, which then remains until a new outbreak of mass reproduction.

Thus, in the life of lemmings, a natural regulation of their numbers periodically occurs in accordance with the specific opportunities to feed the entire population of these rodents.

If we talk about the population lemmings, then it is constantly changing. For example, every three to five years the number of these animals increases sharply, they show aggressiveness and are absolutely not afraid of people. In other years, on the contrary, it is rare to see lemmings and the thought of their extinction involuntarily arises, although this is far from the case.

Please note an interesting fact: the so-called “lemming years” almost always indicate an increase in the population of bank voles in the forests and ungulate lemmings. Approximately once every thirty to forty years, real outbreaks of growth in the population of animals occur, which often leads to their mass migrations in search of food.

In fact, lemmings can be called selfish people who only care about themselves. As a rule, the behavior of these rodents towards each other is often aggressive, and their famous mass migrations are an optical illusion, since each animal moves alone. The only exception is external obstacles, which encourage lemmings to unite and work together to overcome the obstacle that has arisen.

One thing that definitely doesn't require energy drinks is lemmings. One can only envy the activity of these rodents, because they are full of energy around the clock! As a rule, the main “diet” of a lemming consists of pasture - the bark of shrubs, moss, mushrooms, moss, cereals, sedges and other herbaceous plants. Lemmings also do not disdain berries, insects and shed deer antlers, which they completely gnaw off.

Heavy snow in recent winter months often forces lemmings to come to the surface and actively search for food. On the one hand, such a small animal is unlikely to cause fear in humans, but some people are still wary of lemmings. The panic was caused by a number of rumors, according to which hungry lemmings practically destroyed the town of N, and the grass never grew on the road they trampled.