Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing reindeer. Wild populations of reindeer are known as caribou in North America, though technically speaking caribou and reindeer are the same animals. There are about a dozen subspecies of reindeer which range in size and color, but they’re all currently classified as the same species - kind of like how a bengal tiger and siberian tiger are different subspecies but still the same species of animal.

Reindeer live in the northern hemisphere throughout arctic and sub-arctic regions. They look similar to elk but can be told apart from these deer by their paler necks! Reindeer are built for life in the cold. Their fur covers nearly every part of their bodies, including their noses and hooves! Furry hooves help provide traction on mud and snow. Reindeer also have two layered fur with a dense, woolly undercoat and longer outer hairs that trap in heat - these hollow hairs also help with buoyancy.

Many reindeer migrate great distances - some more than 1,000 miles (1,600km) one way. During these migrations they have to cross rivers, so they’re efficient swimmers by necessity, even when they’re young. Other reindeer don’t make these large migrations, though. For example, woodland herds move from the top of mountains to lower valleys and back up again.

In size, reindeer range from 33 and 59 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 180 and 400 pounds, though males may be even bigger and are larger than females - sometimes doubling the ladies in size! Reindeer also have some of the largest antlers when compared to body mass of any living deer! And, in fact, both male and female reindeer have antlers. There are a few other deer species where the ladies grow small nubs, but nothing as extravagant as the female reindeer. It is also possible for other female deer to produce antlers if they have abnormally high testosterone levels, but this is an exception and not the rule.

Reindeer use antlers for mating, defense, and even digging. Males lock antlers during sparring matches throughout the rut, or breeding season, to win over a group of five or more females. Something to note is that this season ends in November and the males lose their antlers shortly after; the females, however, retain their antlers throughout the winter - which means all of Santa’s reindeer, who are typically depicted with antlers, would have to be females!

Male reindeer lose upwards of 25% of their body weight during the rut leaving them exhausted and without antlers. This makes them susceptible to predators like grey wolves, grizzly and polar bears, wolverines, lynxs, and more. Other predators to reindeer include ravens, eagles, and foxes which may come after young reindeer or consume deceased individuals.

Female reindeer give birth in spring. The baby is able to stand within two hours and outrun a human in a day. Baby reindeer are the only deer babies born without spots and upwards of 90% of the babies in a herd are born within two weeks of each other. They nurse for about six weeks and remain with their mother’s herd for at least a year reaching maturity around 16 months of age; however, reindeer often don’t begin breeding until at least their second year especially males who have to compete to mate.

Reindeer herds can reach thousands of members. Safety in numbers helps protect from predators, but also combats pesky parasites. Mosquitoes and biting flies will relentlessly attack reindeer to the point that there may be days when the animals only get two hours worth of eating in. To prevent bites, the deer gather; those towards the middle won’t suffer as many bites - kind of like the male emperor penguins huddling for warmth. During the warmer months, reindeer will eat a variety of plants including grasses and sedges, as well as mushrooms. During the winter, they tend to focus on lichen which they find under snow with their keen sense of smell. This is dug out with hooves - or antlers in the case of females. Female reindeer often live longer than males but on average in the wild they can survive to be ten years old!

For more facts on reindeer, check out the links in the description. Thank you to Triss for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!