Sunday, September 9, 2012

The misconception of Lemmings

There is no collective term for Lemmings... they are in fact solitary
creatures related to rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils.

Lemmings became the subject of a popular misconception that they
commit mass suicide when they migrate. Actually, it is not a mass
suicide, but the result of their migratory behavior.

Driven by strong biological urges, some species of lemmings may
migrate in large groups when population density becomes too great.

Lemmings can swim and may choose to cross a body of water in search of
a new habitat. In such cases, many may drown if the body of water is
so wide as to stretch their physical capability to the limit.

This fact, combined with the unexplained fluctuations in the
population of Norwegian lemmings, gave rise to the misconception.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemming

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