Lemming

This article is about the rodent. For the video game, see Lemmings (video game). For other uses, see Lemming (disambiguation).

Lemming
Norway lemming (Lemmus lemmus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Groups included
  • Dicrostonychini – collared lemmings
  • Lagurini 18-24 – steppe lemmings
  • Lemmini – true lemmings
Cladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa
  • Arvicolini
  • Ellobiusini – mole voles
  • Myodini
  • Ondatrini – muskrats
  • Phenacomyini – tree and heather voles
  • Pliomyini
  • Prometheomyini

A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes rats, mice, hamsters and gerbils. A longstanding myth claims that they exhibit herd mentality and jump off cliffs, committing mass suicide.

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