It is hard to guess what a Norway lemming weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Norway lemming (Lemmus lemmus) on average weights 67 grams (0.15 lbs).
The Norway lemming is from the family Muridae (genus: Lemmus). It is usually born with about 3 grams (0.01 lbs). They can live for up to 2 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 10.3 cm (0′ 5″). On average, Norway lemmings can have babies 3 times per year with a litter size of 5.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The Norway lemming, also Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia. It is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fells, and prefers to live near water. Adults feed primarily on sedges, grasses and moss. They are active at both day and night, alternating naps with periods of activity.
Animals of the same family as a Norway lemming
We found other animals of the Muridae family:
- Unexpected cotton rat with a weight of 140 grams
- Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse with 3 babies per litter
- Tanala tufted-tailed rat with a weight of 90 grams
- Voalavoanala with a weight of 97 grams
- Woolly giant rat with a weight of 116 grams
- One-toothed shrew mouse with a weight of 21 grams
- House mouse with a weight of 19 grams
- Euryoryzomys lamia with a weight of 60 grams
- Gerbil leaf-eared mouse with a weight of 17 grams
- Long-nosed Luzon forest mouse with a weight of 34 grams
Animals with the same weight as a Norway lemming
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Lemmus lemmus:
- Red-tailed chipmunk bringing 60 grams to the scale
- Woodland Oldfield mouse bringing 77 grams to the scale
- Pittier’s crab-eating rat bringing 69 grams to the scale
- Argentine hocicudo bringing 67 grams to the scale
- Northern water rat bringing 54 grams to the scale
- Broad-footed climbing mouse bringing 57 grams to the scale
- Oecomys phaeotis bringing 73 grams to the scale
- Broad-striped dasyure bringing 54 grams to the scale
- Oecomys flavicans bringing 73 grams to the scale
- Peruvian Oldfield mouse bringing 77 grams to the scale
Animals with the same litter size as a Norway lemming
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (5) as a Norway lemming:
- Lorrain dormouse
- Dusky slender opossum
- Hildegarde’s broad-headed mouse
- Royle’s mountain vole
- Wongai ningaui
- Red wolf
- Lesser fat-tailed jerboa
- Montane vole
- Piebald shrew
- Pale field rat
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Norway lemming
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Norway lemming:
- Bennett’s chinchilla rat with an average maximal age of 2.25 years
- White-eared opossum with an average maximal age of 1.67 years
- North American least shrew with an average maximal age of 1.75 years
- Long-tailed giant rat with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Panamanian spiny pocket mouse with an average maximal age of 1.75 years
- Common shrew with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Cinnamon antechinus with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Southern red-backed vole with an average maximal age of 1.67 years
- Campbell’s dwarf hamster with an average maximal age of 1.75 years
- Pilbara ningaui with an average maximal age of 2 years