Reindeer - Five Sisters Zoo

Known as Reindeer in Europe and Caribou in North America, this species maintains wild, semi-wild and captive/domestic populations. In the wild they are a continually migratory species, with herds moving across hundreds of kilometres in search of food throughout the year. Both male and female reindeer possess antlers which are grown and shed every year, with the antlers the following year growing back larger than the year before.

Facts

Diet: Herbivore; grasses, moss, ferns, shoots and leaves of shrubs and trees, and lichen

Weight: 65-210kg depending on subspecies

Length: 1.6-2.1m

Habitat: Canada; Finland, Greenland, Mongolia, Norway, Russian Federation, United States; Arctic and subarctic tundra, forest, coastal plains, and mountains, typically staying below the tree line at higher elevations.

Lifespan: 15 years in the wild, up to 20 years under human care

Adapted to Survive

  • Their hooves are softer in summer and harder in winter to adapt to the terrain
  • A tendon in the foot makes a snapping sound while walking, allowing the reindeer to hear other herd members even in storms or low visibility
  • Their nose is covered in hair, unlike other deer species, allowing the cold air to warm before entering the body

Threats

  • Climate change
  • Habitat loss and fragmentation

IUCN Conservation Status

Vulnerable

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