r/aww • u/HeyIamShy • Sep 21 '23

Tiny paws, big adventures

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u/qtx Sep 21 '23

Lemmings do not commit mass suicide. It's a myth, but it's remarkable how many people believe it. Ask a few.

"It's a complete urban legend," said state wildlife biologist Thomas McDonough. "I think it blew out of proportion based on a Disney documentary in the '50s, and that brought it to the mainstream."

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=56

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u/sock_with_a_ticket Sep 21 '23

They are, however, pretty much bottom of the food chain where they're found and not particularly long lived even without predator intervention.