Reindeer and caribou are both part of the deer family called the Cervidae, which also includes deer, moose and wapiti. Reindeers have long legs, hooves and antlers.
In North America, the domesticated version of the animal is called "caribou", while the wild version is called "reindeer", according to the San Diego Zoo. How did these beasts become Santa's sleigh-pullers? According to the BBC Earth, reindeer were given the title of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore in 1823. The reindeer is thought to be one of the first domesticated animals. It was domesticated around 2,000 years ago. The animal is still used for food, clothing and materials for shelter in many northern societies.
How big are reindeer?
The male reindeer grow from hooves to shoulder and can be as long as 6.8 f. Females are usually around 6 feet to 6 feet long. The males and females weigh between 142 and 509 pounds.
According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the only deer species in which both males and females grow antlers is these animals. The pedicle on the skull is where the antler grows. The blood vessels in the velvet cover the growing bone and give it oxygen.
There are some good videos for you.
There are some key facts.
The size is between 5.8 and 6.8 feet.
Up to 15 or so years old is the life span.
Vulnerable is the status of conservativism.
The San Diego Zoo says that a male's antlers can grow up to 51 inches long and weigh up to 33 pounds, making them significantly bigger and heavier than a female's. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History says that adult males and females keep their antlers on until April or May. The fact suggests that all of Santa's sleigh-pullers are females. They could be young males, who keep their small rack through February of the following year.
Live Science reported that the secret to Santa's rosy schnozzle is a dense network of blood vessels in his nose. According to medical researchers in the Netherlands and the University of Rochester in New York, reindeer have 25% more blood vessels than humans.
The increase in blood flow in the nose will help keep it warm in cold climates. Reindeer don't sweat and the dense network of blood vessels in their noses is important for regulating their internal body temperature.
Where do reindeer live?
Reindeer are found in a large circumpolar region surrounding the North Pole, in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, northern Europe and northern Asia. Their home ranges can be as large as 500 square miles. The woodland caribou, Peary caribou, and the Svalbard reindeer are all subspecies of the caribou.
Reindeer herds.
The Tyyakha camp of reindeer breeders are on the Taimyr Peninsula in the north of Russia. Alexander Ryumin/TASS is credited with the image.
ReINDEER TAXONOMY.
Kingdom: Animalia.
Chordata is a phylum.
The class is called mammalia.
Artiodactyla was ordered.
The family is called the Cervidae.
Rangifer tarandus is a species.
There are 14 different types of reindeer.
ITIS is the source.
Reindeer are social creatures. They travel and rest in herds. According to the San Diego Zoo, these herds can include from 10 to a few hundred animals. In the spring, herds can get even bigger. The herds travel south to find food in the winter.
The Taimyr Peninsula is the northernmost part of Russia and is home to one of the biggest herds. The Taimyr herd peaked at 1 million individuals in 2000, but fell to 600,000 by the year 2016, according to the monitoring. Climate change could be a part of the problem. The World Wildlife Fund said that climate change has changed the timing of the trek from the peninsula to the forest, meaning that young calves are still too small to make the journey.
What do reindeer eat?
Reindeer only eat vegetation. Their diet can include plants and leaves. The San Diego Zoo says an adult reindeer eats up to 18 pounds of vegetation a day.
Reindeer have to dig through the snow to find food. They dig using their antlers and eat reindeer moss.
Reindeer reproduction.
Reindeer calves are born with no antlers. The little reindeer is in a foreign place. Gerald Corsi has an image on his website.
The breeding season lasts from August to September and the female's uterus lasts about 7.5 months. Female reindeer usually give birth to one youth at a time, though they have been found to have up to four young at a time. A baby reindeer can weigh between 13 and 17 pounds at birth.
Calves are able to stand after an hour of life, and within a week they start eating solid food. Within six months of their second birthday, they start growing their first set of antlers. The calves weigh between 135 and 165 pounds when they reach their 1-year birthday. Reindeers can live up to 18 years. According to the University of Michigan's BioKids page, females tend to live for longer than males, with some reaching 15 years old, and males are more susceptible to predation after the mating season.
The status of conservativism.
Reindeer are listed as vulnerable. The Red List of Threatened Species says that the species has a distinction because of a 40% decline in population over the past 21 to 27 years. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, there are around 3.5 million caribou in North America, around 1 million wild reindeer in Europe and around 3 million domestic reindeer in northern Europe.
There are additional resources.
Reindeer are built for cold weather. Their noses warm up air before it gets to their lungs and their hooves are covered with fur.
