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lemmings; Dicrostonyx, collared or Arctic lemmings; and Myopus, red-backed or wood lemmings. The animals live in open grasslands or tundras in north temperate or arctic regions. Lemmings measure 8-13 cm (3-5 in) in length and weigh only a small fraction of a kilogram. The fur is reddish or grayish brown above and lighter-colored below, and the tail is stubby. Collared lemmings turn white during winter, an adaptation to their snowy environment.

The animals burrow to make underground nests, which they line with grass or moss. They eat grass, roots, sprouts, and other plant materials. The mating season lasts from spring to fall, and the female bears up to 9 young after a 20-day gestation period.

The legend that lemmings deliberately join in a death march to the sea, where they drown, is untrue. Lemmings migrate periodically from their home area when their population begins to exceed the food supply. They swim across streams and rivers in order to find land with food; sometimes, however, lemmings try to swim bodies of water that are too wide and may drown in great numbers.