2 Anatomy

The weight of a female varies between 60 and 170 kg. In some subspecies of reindeer, the male is slightly larger; in others, the male can weigh up to 300 kg. Both sexes grow antlerFor the Poet Laureate of Milwaukee, see Antler (Poet). Antlers are the large and complex horns of deer, consisting of bony outgrowths from the head with no covering of keratin as is found in other types of horn. While an antler is growing it is covered wis, which (in the Scandinavian variety) for old males fall off in December, for young males in the spring and for females during the summer. The antlers typically have two separate groups of points (see image), a lower and upper. They mainly eat lichenCrustose and foliose lichens on a wall Lichens are symbiotic organisms made up by the association of microscopic green algae or cyanobacteria and filamentous fungi. Lichens take the external shape of the fungal partner and hence are named based on the funs in winter, especially reindeer moss. However, they also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses. They can also eat voles (lat. clethrionomys glareolus), lemmings (lat. lemmus lemmus), birds and bird eggs.

An unusual feature of the reindeer is that it has front teeth only on its bottom jaw; there are molars on both the top and bottom.

3 Population

In the wild, caribou migrate in large herds between their birthing habitat and their winter habitat. Their wide hooves help the animal move through snow and tundra; they also help propel the animal when it swims. About 1 million live in Alaska, and a comparable number live in northern Canada.

There are an estimated 5 million reindeer in Eurasia, mainly semi-domesticated.

Males usually split apart from the group and become solitary, while the remaining herd consists mostly of females, usually a matriarchy.

3.1 Diseases and threats

Natural threats to caribou include avalanches and the predators wolves, wolverines, lynxes, bears, etc. In mesolithic and neolithic periods, Europeans hunted them, too.

4 Reindeer and humans

4.1 Economy

Wild caribou are still hunted in North America. In the traditional lifestyle of the Inuit people, the caribou is a source of food, clothing, shelter and tools.

The reindeer has (or have had) an important economic role for all circumpolar peoples , including the Sami, Nenets, Khants, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Tjuktjer and Korjaker in Eurasia. It is believed that domestication started between Bronze Age- Iron Age. Siberian deer-owners also use the reindeer to ride on. (Siberian reindeer are larger than their Scandinavian relatives.) For breeders, a single deer-owner usually own some hundreds or up to thousands of animals. The numbers of Russian herders have been drastically reduced since the fall of the Soviet Union. The fur and meat is sold, which is an important source of income. Reindeer were introduced into Alaska near the end of the 19th century; they interbreed with native caribou subspecies there.

Reindeer meat is popular in the Scandanavian countries. Reindeer roasted over birch twigs (pinnekjøtt) is a traditional Christmas meal in Norway. Reindeer meatballs are sold canned.

4.2 Local names

In Sami, the male caribou is called sarve, a castrated bull (which in old time was performed by a bite) hierke and the female sex is called vaya. The name Caribou is thought to come from a Mi'kmaq word that means "one that paws (the ground)".

4.3 Views of reindeer in non-Arctic countries

Popular Christmas myth holds that reindeer are used by Santa Claus to pull his sleigh during his annual trip to distribute toys to children on the night before Christmas. Because of this, they are often associated with the holiday.

5 Subspecies

• Svalbard Reindeer (R. tarandus platyrhynchus) which are found on Svalbard is the smallest subspecies of reindeer.
• European Reindeer (R. tarandus tarandus)
• Finnish Forest Reindeer (R. tarandus fennicus)
• Woodland Caribou (R. tarandus caribou) which are found in North American woodlands as far south as Maine and Washington. Woodland Caribou have disappeared from most of their original range and are considered " threatened" where they remain.
• Peary Caribou (R. tarandus pearyi) which are found in the islands of the Canadian Arctic.
• Barren-ground Caribou (R. tarandus groenlandicus) which are found in northern Canada. This is the most numerous subspecies in North America.
• Grant's Caribou (R. tarandus granti) which are found in Alaska and northwestern Canada.

6 Fictional reindeer

• Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen pull the airborne sleigh in A Visit From St. Nicholas
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

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Caribou is also the artist name of electronic musician Dan Snaith, who used to be known as Manitoba.

Deer ang:Hrán

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