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Why do lemmings swarm?

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The brown to black Norway lemming, Lemmus lemmus, of Scandinavia, is the best known, because of its spectacular periodic swarming. Two or three times per decade, this species undergoes a population explosion of such proportions that the lemmings set out in all directions in search of food. They cross bodies of water by swimming and occasionally some reach and enter the ocean, where they drown. This behavior has given rise to folklore about lemmings committing mass suicide, but the population crashes mainly because lemming predators increase in number in response. Other species of the genus Lemmus are found in the northern portions of Eurasia and North America and sometimes exhibit similar swarmings.

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Similar questions: What happens when lemming populations increase? Do lemmings commit suicide? What species of lemmings swarm? Do all lemmings swarm? What happens to lemmings that swarm? [ Hide these questions ]

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