Steppe Lemming Lagurus lagurus

The Steppe Lemming is native to arid steppe and semi-steppe desert/grassland of western Mongolia, northwestern China, Kazakhstan and part of Russia and Ukraine. They live in family-based colonial burrow systems.

The greyish adult has a black dorsal stripe and is some 12cm long with a short tail (up to 2cm). They have a high reproductive rate and the populations fluctuate from explosion (with favourable food and climate) to decimation (through migration and predation rather than mass suicide).