Reindeer (Europe) and caribou (North America) are large deer that can thrive in very harsh winter weather. They live mainly in the Arctic (places more than 66 degrees from the Equator) and also in some high mountain areas , such as in Southern Norway and Alaska. The name ‘rein’ is from the Norwegian Viking, meaning ‘horned animal’. The name Caribou comes from native American tribes and means 'one who paws'.

They live in the northern forests during winter. In summer, many move (migrate) even farther north to the treeless areas nearer the pole. These areas, where only short bushes can grow, are known as the tundra.

Large populations of wild reindeer are still found in Alaska, Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Siberia. There are also farmed herd. They are quite large, stocky animals. They have very distinctive antlers.

Fur

They have a coarse, thick fur. It changes with the seasons, being thicker and whiter in winter and more brown in summer. The coat has two layers: a dense woolly undercoat and longer-haired overcoat of hollow, air-filled coarse hairs.

Antlers

Males have antlers that are shed each winter and grow again in the spring. Female antlers, which are smaller, are shed in summer. The growing antlers are covered in a velvety fur. The antlers have two groups of points. Male antlers are bigger than those of any other deer except the moose. They have the largest antlers relative to body size among deer.

Nose and hooves

They have to survive in some of the world’s harshest climates and they have adapted to this with special noses and hooves. The nose is exceptionally sensitive to smell and that also allows the extremely cold winter air to be warmed before it reaches the lungs. As a reindeer breathes out through its nose, the water vapour in the air is captured, and as a result, a lot of the reindeer’s water is recycled.

In the summer, when the ground is soft and often boggy underfoot, the footpads grow and take on a sponge-like appearance. In winter, when the ground is frozen, the footpads get smaller and the hoof reaches the ground. This allows the hoof to act like an ice-shoe, or crampon, biting into ice and stopping the reindeer’s feet from slipping. The hooves can also be used for digging to find food under snow and ice.

Feeding

They mainly eat lichens, especially reindeer moss. This is a kind of small plant that grows directly on rocks. But they can also eat grass and browse tree leaves and bark.

Breeding

Mating occurs in the autumn/fall, but, because winters are so harsh and spring so late in the Arctic, the calves are not born until May or June.

Moving about

They are always on the move. It is common for herds to move over 5000km a year in search of food. They move north in summer as the snow melts from the tundra, and back south in winter to the shelter of the forests. They travel 20-50km a day. They are also fast runners, able to reach 80km/hr and so outrun wild foxes and other hunters. The biggest danger from hunting animals is often from eagles, who take very young calves. Bears will also capture deer if they can.

Reindeer/caribou and people

They have been hunted since ancient times and herds are owned by many northern peoples who use them as a source of milk, meat, hides, and clothing. They are also used to pull sleds. These animals roam freely, and herders move with their herds. The people are nomads.