SUICIDE -
Lemmings are small, stout, grey or brown animals with short tails and small eyes. These mouse-like rodents live in the colder regions of Northern Hemisphere, such as the mountains of Scandinavia and Lap land. They are between 12 to 16 centimeters ( 5 to 6 inches) in length, with feet covered with fur for protection against cold. They make their nests both above the ground with dry grass and in burrows. They feed on roots, stalks, and moss.
You may have heard stories about lemmings that hundreds of thousands of them march to the sea in a long packed line and jump into the sea. This is only one part of the whole story. The lemmings live high up on the mountainside. In years, when food is plentiful, lemmings breed very quickly to produce enormous population. This is known as 'population explosion'. The available food is quickly eaten and then large numbers of lemmings migrate in all directions in search of food. As they migrate, many many fall prey to predators while many others fall into the rivers and the seas slipping from the edges of the cliff. They swim for about 15 to 20 minutes and are finally drowned.
No lemming ever returns to the place of its origin. The migration process is repeated every third or fourth year. Scientists have proved that lemmings move away from their houses in large groups because of overpopulation, but they do not drown themselves on purpose.
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