The Norway Lemming (Lemmus lemmus or Myodes lemmus) is a mammal in the Cricetiddae family of rodents. It is also known as the Norwegian Lemming.
The Norway Lemming has yellow-brown to tan fur with flecks of black. It looks like a plump mouse. It has short, rounded ears, small round black eyes, and a small nose with whiskers. It has short pink-beige feet with claws. It has a short tail.
It measures up to 15 centimetres (6 inches) in length. Its tail measures one centimetre (a third of an inch) long.
It is native to Fennoscandia – Finland, Norway, and Sweden. It prefers tundra and habitats near water.
The Norway Lemming feeds on grass, sedge, and moss.
It is active day and night, and naps between bursts of activity. It spends winter in nests under the snow. When the snow melts, it moves (migrates) to higher ground with firm snow, but in summer it moves to lower ground.
It is a solitary creature.
The female has 6-8 young every 3-4 weeks. The young look for their own territory to live and forage for food.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, Education Centre, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM