Female Reindeer Have Antlers.
©Vladimir Melnikov/Shutterstock.com
Reindeer, or caribou, are members of the deer family Cervidae. Deer, elk, moose, and wapiti are also members of this family. The distinction between reindeer and caribou depends on where they live. Typically, we refer to Eurasian populations as reindeer while most North American populations are known as caribou. However, the term reindeer is used to describe domesticated caribou, including those in North America.
Reindeer antlers are the largest and heaviest of all extant deer species. Unlike other deer species, female reindeer grow antlers. Male antlers can grow to lengths of fifty-one inches, while female antlers are smaller, at twenty inches. So, where do reindeer live?
Are Reindeer In the North Pole?
According to traditional festive legend in some parts of the world, Santa Claus’s reindeer are said to pull a sleigh through the night sky to help Santa Claus deliver gifts to children on Christmas Eve.
©iStock.com/Vladimir Melnikov
Despite what you may have been told, reindeer don’t live at the North Pole! A few Arctic caribou can be discovered in the tundra, however. Formed by the coniferous taiga woods of the Arctic, the Arctic tundra encircles the North Pole. It spans from Alaska to Canada to Russia to Greenland to Iceland. Winters in this area are long and dry, with months of complete darkness and incredibly low temperatures.
But reindeer populations in the northern lands closest to the North Pole have been falling rapidly. Reindeer and caribou herds have shrunk by 56% since the mid-1990s. The herds have been diminishing for decades as a result of hunting, illness, food shortages, and climate change.
Where Do Reindeer Live?
Reindeer live in the Northern Hemisphere in tundra and boreal forests.
©doliux/Shutterstock.com
Reindeer live in the far northern regions of Europe, North America, and Asia. They enjoy colder climates like tundra and boreal forests. We can find them in northern countries, which include:
Canada
Greenland
Norway
Sweden
Russia
Alaska
Reindeer live in regions with harsh topography and long, cold winters. They are designed to survive the cold, with a thick layer of hair covering their entire bodies down to their feet! Reindeer rarely live below the 50th parallel (most of the US and Canadian border is the 49th parallel). Additionally, there are no reindeer in the Southern Hemisphere. Reindeers and penguins have never crossed paths in nature!
Can Reindeer Live Anywhere In the World?
Male Caribou with a beautiful head of antlers on the fall tundra above the Toklat River, Alaska Range.
©Jeff McGraw/Shutterstock.com
Although reindeer are native to the arctic, they can live in all kinds of climates! For example, the Cairngorms Mountains in Scotland’s far north are home to the UK’s only wild reindeer herd. The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre in Aviemore is an excellent place to see the herd.
A herd of reindeer (caribou) and a herd of muskoxen share the same territory at Alaska’s Large Animal Research Station. The year-round facility opened in 1976 as part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. And, in the Swedish Lapland highlands by the Torne, a Sami couple has been taming and herding reindeer for 30 years. Reindeer frequently roam the grounds.
Examples like these are plentiful. Over 2.5 million domesticated reindeer are currently kept in nine countries, and over 100,000 people are employed in their care!
Where Are Reindeer in America?
A pair of young female reindeer stand in front of a beautiful glacial background. Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada. In young reindeer, the antlers are smaller, but they grow bigger each year.
©iStock.com/RichardSeeley
Reindeer in North America live in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, of Canada.If you want to see domesticated reindeer in the U.S., there are several ranches and farms where you can observe domesticated reindeer throughout the holiday season. Google “reindeer farms near me” to find out if any exist in your area. To find wild reindeer in the USA, your best bet is Alaska. Though some reindeer in the Rockies may extend southward into Northern Idaho and Montana, reindeer are commonly found across Alaska.
Are Reindeer Endangered?
A Reindeer mama and her babies.
©iStock.com/Artpilot
The global reindeer population is estimated at five million, including 900,000 caribou in Alaska. Predation and disease determine reindeer herd size presently. Overhunting has historically diminished some reindeer populations. Poaching persists in Russia despite stringent anti-hunting legislation. Logging and winter sports may disturb the reindeer habitat in Finland. For some populations, hybridization with domesticated reindeer is an issue.
White-tailed deer are moving into reindeer habitats as Arctic temperatures rise. These deer are infected with a worm infection that kills moose and reindeer. Insect activity increases when the weather warms up. Insects can make it difficult for reindeer to gain the weight they need to survive the winter.
The tundra is changing as well. A few examples include expanding oil exploration, industrial expansion, and a rise in aviation and snowmobile noise. Since humans and machinery have been around, reindeer have been able to adapt. But reindeer herds’ demands will continue to be an ongoing concern as humanity continues to develop the Arctic.
The post Uncover the Truth: Do Reindeer Really Live at the North Pole? appeared first on A-Z Animals.
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Publish date : 2024-12-04 04:28:00
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