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You may have heard someone say, “Those people are acting like lemmings.” It means they’re just following the crowd. Not thinking for themselves. The saying got its start from a 1958 nature documentary about the Arctic.
The movie showed lemmings running toward a cliff and jumping off to their death. People believed this really happened. That’s what gave people the idea about lemmings following the crowd. The scene looked real, but it wasn’t. The people making the movie used tricks to create it. The truth is that lemmings mostly live alone. They get together as a group only once every few years.
Lemmings are rodents. They’re part of a large family that includes creatures you might want as a pet, like hamsters and gerbils. It also includes rats and mice. Most rodents run and hide when faced with a predator. Not lemmings. They may actually charge toward their enemy or stand their ground and screech. ▶
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▲ Lemmings live in the northern parts of North America, Asia, and Europe. And in the Arctic tundra and the high mountains. (The tundra is a cold place where trees do not grow.) They have small ears and short legs, which help keep them from losing body heat. Their thick fur also helps keep them warm.
◀ Lemmings dig burrows with tunnels that help keep them safe from predators. In the winter, they burrow into the snow to protect themselves from the cold. Their burrows have several rooms, including a sleeping area, a nesting area, and a place to store food. Scientists have found some tunnels even have a “bathroom.”
Lemmings’ sharp teeth keep growing throughout their life. They’re just right for chomping on almost any kind of plant life, from grasses and moss to bark and twigs.
▲ The number of lemmings in an area grows from year to year. After three or four years, there may not be enough food. That’s when they come together as a group to look for a new home. Thousands may move across land and water. (Maybe this is where the moviemakers got their idea.)
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What’s the difference between lemmings and hamsters?
Lemmings and hamsters are both furry rodents, but that’s where much of the similarity ends. Hamsters have a bigger body and bigger ears. They eat insects and fruit, but not much in the way of grasses and moss. Plus, hamsters live in warm, dry regions. And unlike lemmings, they run away from danger.
