Lemmings, small Arctic rodents measuring 13 to 18 centimeters and weighing 20 to 112 grams, are widely associated with a widespread misconception. The image of lemmings engaging in mass self-destruction has captured public imagination for decades. This myth has obscured their actual behaviors and complex population dynamics.
The Myth of Mass Lemming Suicides
The popular myth suggests lemmings deliberately jump to their deaths in mass suicide events, a notion deeply ingrained in culture. This idea gained widespread belief due to the 1958 Disney documentary “White Wilderness.” The film, part of Disney’s “True-Life Adventure” series, presented staged scenes depicting lemmings purportedly committing mass suicide by leaping off cliffs into the ocean.
An investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1983 revealed the film’s scenes were faked. Filmmakers transported lemmings to the filming location in Alberta, Canada, a landlocked province where lemmings are not native, and used cinematic tricks to create the narrative. This included using tight camera angles and physically pushing or throwing lemmings off a cliff to simulate their supposed suicidal plunge. The documentary’s portrayal, despite its fabrication, cemented the idea of lemming mass suicide in the public consciousness.
The Truth About Lemming Population Cycles
Lemmings do not intentionally commit suicide; their observed movements result from natural population cycles and migratory behaviors. Lemming populations experience boom-and-bust cycles, with numbers fluctuating every three to five years. During periods of high population density, typically following favorable breeding conditions, lemmings may embark on migrations in search of new food sources and less crowded habitats.
These migrations can lead lemmings to encounter obstacles such as bodies of water or cliffs. While lemmings are capable swimmers, they may drown if they attempt to cross large rivers or lakes, or become exhausted during their journey. Deaths occurring in these circumstances are accidental consequences of dispersal and migration, not intentional self-destruction. Their natural instinct is survival, prompting them to move when local resources become scarce.
Why Lemmings Don’t Explode
The idea of lemmings “exploding” is another misconception, lacking any basis in biological reality. There is no known biological mechanism that would cause a lemming, or any animal, to spontaneously combust or explode due to stress, anger, or overpopulation. This bizarre notion may have arisen from a misunderstanding of their aggressive nature during high-density periods or from the appearance of carcasses after predation.
Lemmings are known to be feisty, especially when their numbers are high, but this aggression is directed towards other lemmings or potential threats, not towards self-destruction. The concept of an animal exploding is an exaggeration, unrelated to any observed behavior or physiological process. This illustrates how exaggerated narratives can become attached to animals with misunderstood natural behaviors.