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Measurements
Weight: 60 to 300kg
Height: 90 to 140cm at shoulder
Antlers length: males up to 130cm
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Diet
They mainly eat
lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss. However, they also eat
willows and birches leaves, as well as sedges, fungi and grasses. |
Identification
Also known as
caribou in North America, these medium-sized deer are unusual as
both male and females have antlers. The
reindeer coat has two layers of fur, a dense woolly undercoat and
longer-haired overcoat consisting of hollow, air-filled hairs.
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Behaviour
Many reindeer
migrate in huge herds every year, sometimes as far as 5000 km. In
the spring males gather and fiercely defend harems of females. The
air-filled hairs in the coat give them bouancy in water, making
them good swimmers. They use their large hooves to dig through snow
for food
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Distribution & Habitat
Wide-spread throughout
the Holarctic regions of the world and inhabit the Arctic tundra,
forests, and mountainous regions. |
