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Reindeer
I am back home for the Holidays and the
crisp weather and ever present holiday cheer
has led me to write a brief blog on the
infamous Reindeer.
The Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) is also
commonly known as the caribou. They are
widely dispersed throughout the Arctic and
Subarctic regions from Russia to North
America (for us New Englanders, they are
even found in Maine!). Today the largest
densities of Reindeer are found in Canada,
Alaska, Finland and Siberia.
Etymology of the name Reindeer is said to
come from the name rangifer, a genus name
chosen by Linnaeus. They are listed as
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Reindeer are classified within two major
groups:
1. Tundra Reindeer and
2. Woodland Reindeer
These two groups and their associated
sub-species vary greatly in color and size.
However, both male and female Reindeer grow
antlers in most sub-species. Antlers in
some bull* Reindeers can grow
as large as 53 inches in length.
Rudolph isn't the only Reindeer with a
specialized nose. Reindeers have
specialized noses with nasal turbinate bones
that allow the air entering the nose to be
warmed before entering their lungs. This is
very useful as they live in extremely cold
habitats. Diets include a variety of
mosses, grasses, bird eggs, leaves and tree
barks. This rough diet is easily digested as
Reindeer are ruminants*,
having four-chambered stomachs.
Over the course of a year Reindeer migrate
up to 3 000 miles a year. It's no wonder
these great travelers have been historically
associated with Santa Clause and
accomplishing the great feat of travelling
great distances in short periods of time.
These magnificent beasts are the perfect
species to finish off the year. I look
forward to writing more exciting blogs on
wildlife for you all in the coming year.
That said, best wishes and happy holidays!
*What does that mean?
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Bull: A male Reindeer is called
a bull.
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Ruminants: Ruminants are mammals
that digest plant foods by using the
first stomach to soften the food. This
softened food known as cud is then
chewed again and re-digested. This
process is called ruminating. The word
ruminant comes from the Latin "to chew
again."
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