Norwegian Lemmings Are Far More Aggressive Than Most Small Rodents

Posted on February 10, 2015

An angry Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) attacks a video camera in the video below. The lemming also barks loudly. Researchers say the lemming's bold colors combined with its loud barks and ferocity are unusual among small rodents.

The barking and loud colors are part of the lemming's antipredator defence. The bold colors include a red-brown back, yellow flanks, white breast and black patch on its head, neck and shoulders. Malte Andersson at the University of Göteborg in Sweden studied the lemming for a paper published here in the journal, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. He says that most small rodents rarely aggressively protect themselves from predators like this small lemming does. Andersson says the lemming thinks nothing of using screams, lunges and bites to ward off predators, including aerial attacks by birds, such as the such as the long-tailed skua.

Andersson conducted five field tests on the lemming. In one test 18 observers found the Norwegian lemming much easier to spot than the grey-side vole, a rodent neighbor of the lemming. Another test found that brown lemmings only barked at a nearby human in one out of 39 instances. However, Norwegian lemmings gave warning noises to nearby humans in 36 out of 110 instances. Andersson also approached Norwegian lemmings and found that most of the lemmings called out when he was within five meters of them.

Andersson says the combination of the Norwegian lemmings colors and loudness signal to a predator that the rodent will most certainly fight if attacked. He says black and white and yellow is also a classic warning coloration that some birds know to avoid instinctively.

Andersson says, "The Norwegian lemming combines acoustics with visual conspicuousness, probably to reduce its risk of becoming prey."

Here is a video of the angry Norwegian lemming:

Video Credit: © Alexander Ryden



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