Arctic lemming vs house mouse

Dicrostonyx torquatus compared with Mus musculus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic lemming	house mouse
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Cricetidae	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Dicrostonyx	Mus (House Mice)
Species	Dicrostonyx torquatus	Mus musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic lemming and house mouse share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

Arctic lemming

LC — Least Concern

house mouse

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic lemming	house mouse
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	2 years
Average Length	—	9 cm
Average Weight	—	20 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic lemming

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

house mouse

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (13 countries), Europe (41 countries), North America (14 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (12 countries), and South America (10 countries).

Arctic lemming

The Arctic lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus) is a species in the genus Dicrostonyx. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

house mouse

Among the most widespread and numerous mammals on Earth, house mice originated in South Asia and have accompanied human civilization across every continent except Antarctica. Weighing just 15–25 g, they are highly adaptable omnivores capable of surviving on minimal food and water. As the world's most commonly used laboratory animal, the house mouse has contributed to virtually every branch of biomedical research. They cause significant agricultural damage globally.