Lemmings in any Zoo?

Lynx lynx

Lynx lynx

New Member
Are there any Norway lemming Lemmus lemmus in some Zoo?
Anyone knows?
I found one Zoo in Finland, at least I saw a Lemming on their web site,
but are there any other?
 
The Oregon Zoo used to have them as part of their Alaska exhibit. The Alaska exhibit was rebuilt as the current African predator exhibit, so the lemmings are long gone.
 
Zootierliste says there are Norway lemmings in Kitee Zoo, Puhos and in the Ranua Wildlife Park. Both are in Finland. There are no lemmings listed under ISIS Species.

I was in Paris 2 weeks ago. Zootierliste didn't list kagus in the Paris Menagerie, saying that they had been in show in 2011. ISIS listed two females. I didn't see any on show, so I hope that Zootierliste is more reliable for this thread and that there are Norway lemmings on show in Finland.
 
Rotterdam had steppe lemmings when I was there last not Norway. I would love to know how well the breed and how they are kept in captivity too!
 
DavidBrown said:
The Oregon Zoo used to have them as part of their Alaska exhibit. The Alaska exhibit was rebuilt as the current African predator exhibit, so the lemmings are long gone.
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Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma also built an Arctic exhibit in the early 1980s, with polar bears, musk ox, waterfowl, arctic fox and lemmings. The lemmings disappeared for good by the late 1980s.
 
Al said:
Rotterdam had steppe lemmings when I was there last not Norway. I would love to know how well the breed and how they are kept in captivity too!
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Steppe Lemmings are available from a pet shop just round the corner from where I work. The label says they're not difficult to keep (keeping seems to be the same as for hamsters) but they must have 'no sugar in their diet' (no added- or high-sugar foods, presumably).
 
Thanks Magauri, my wording should have been better, i meant the norways! steppe lemmings are very easy to keep I had a colony of 50 at one point myself! They thrived on a diet of mainly grass and hay :)
 
steppe lemmings are indeed very easy to keep. They are more social then most hamster species, although it's always tricky to put multiple animals together.
 
Maguari said:
Steppe Lemmings are available from a pet shop just round the corner from where I work. The label says they're not difficult to keep (keeping seems to be the same as for hamsters) but they must have 'no sugar in their diet' (no added- or high-sugar foods, presumably).
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Just googled this and all I can say is: I want one! :) (or two) It seems they are quite easy to keep but don't live for very long at all and as you say, must have a very strict diet.
 
Shirokuma said:
Just googled this and all I can say is: I want one! :) (or two) It seems they are quite easy to keep but don't live for very long at all and as you say, must have a very strict diet.
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Yeah, they are very cool, and quite common as pets, in Europe at least.

But the Norway lemming are totaly different I think. I think it is strange that they are so rare in Zoos.
 
Not a zoo per se (but was probably the closest thing to it directly in the city), but the local Nature Interpretive Centre in my city (the one at the Royal Boctanical Gardens), used to have lemmings in their collection of animals which also used to consist of a Great-horned Owl, ferrets, rabbits, mice, Chinchillas, and fish being the only live animals they have now, I believe. I'm not sure what exact subspecies/species they were, but I thought they were fascinating little creatures. I don't know why they were phased out.

I didn't know about them being pets! I am on my remaining rat and I've thought about braching out to other rodents. I'll look into them.
 
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