Reindeer

Animal Details

Common Name

Caribou (Reindeer)

Scientific Name

Rangifer tarandus

Type

Mammal

Status

Vulnerable

Diet

Herbivore

Geographic Range

Canada, Northern Europe, and Northern Asia

Life Span

15 Years

Offspring

1 calf

Meet The Animal

Caribou and reindeer are actually the same species-Rangifer tarandus-but there are some minor differences between the two. Caribou are native to North America, whereas reindeer are native to northern Europe and Asia. Some people also use the term “reindeer” to refer to domesticated work animals in North America. Caribou, on the other hand, are wild-living and long-migrating. Caribou are also taller and lankier than reindeer.

Their Behavior

Reindeer are well adapted for life in harsh, cold climates. They have extra blood vessels in their noses that help warm the air they breathe in before it reaches their lungs, keeping their core warm (and also giving it a slight red tint). They also have wide hooves that aid in walking on snow in the winter and swimming through rivers in the summer. Reindeer are the only deer in which males and females both have antlers—though not all females have them. Females have one calf each year, which can stand after only a few minutes and move on with their mother by the next day.