Artice

Artice (aah-tis) is the name given to these small rodents that are usually found in or near the tundra and Arctic areas (similar to the real world lemming).

Description & Habitat
Artices weigh from 30 to 112 grams and are about 7 to 15cm long. They generally have long, soft fur, and very short tails. Artices do not hibernate through the harsh winters. They remain active, finding food by burrowing through the snow and utilising grasses clipped and stored in advance. They are solitary animals by nature, meeting only to mate and then going their separate ways, but like all rodents they have a high reproductive rate and can breed rapidly when food is plentiful.

Artices are herbivorous, feeding mostly on leaves and shoots, grasses, and sedges in particular, but also on roots and bulbs.

Behaviour
The behaviour of artices is much the same as that of many other rodents which have periodic population booms and then disperse in all directions, seeking the food and shelter that their natural habitat cannot provide. They commonly seek refuge in human shelters, especially those within the Mountain Guilds and even the Aketønian Territories.