{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "lemming",
  "name": "Brown Lemming",
  "scientificName": "Lemmus lemmus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The brown lemming is a small, stocky rodent of the Arctic and alpine tundra of Scandinavia and Russia. Weighing only 30 to 112 g and measuring about 15 cm, it feeds on grasses, sedges, moss, and bark and stays active all winter beneath the snow. Lemmings are famous for dramatic population booms and crashes, and they live just one to two years. The species is listed as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Rodentia",
    "family": "Cricetidae",
    "genus": "Lemmus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.08,
    "lengthM": 0.15,
    "topSpeedKmh": 8,
    "lifespanYears": 2
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Lemmus lemmus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — grasses, sedges, moss, and bark"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Arctic and alpine tundra of Scandinavia and Russia"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "1–2 years in the wild (short-lived rodent)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "30–112 g (0.03–0.11 kg); varies with season"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 8 km/h (5 mph); scurries through tundra runways"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Arctic and alpine tundra of Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada — brown lemming in Fennoscandia and Siberia.",
    "continents": [
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Lemmus lemmus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Lemmus%20lemmus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Lemmus lemmus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lemmus_lemmus/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/lemming/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/lemming/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}