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The largest herds of Reindeer
occur in Alaska, Canada, Scandanavia and Russia (also known as Lapland),
with 1,500,000 in Russia alone! |
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Reindeer are rather large members
of the deer family. They measure 3 to 4 1/2 feet in height at the
shoulder and weigh from 130 to 650 pounds. Males are significantly
larger than females. |
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The Reindeer's coat is very
heavy with dense, wooly underfur. The color is predominantly brown
to olive, with whitish underparts, buttocks and legs, but there
is a great deal of geographic variation. In Greenland and
northeastern Canada, some Reindeer have nearly white coats! |
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Reindeer and caribou have unique
hollow hairs which trap air providing them with excellent insulation.
These hairs also help keep them buoyant in the water. They are very
strong swimmers and can move across wide rushing rivers and even
the frozen ice of the Arctic Ocean! |
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| Both male and female
Reindeer are antlered. Females shed their antlers about calving
time; males shed during or after the rut. The largest antlers
of all deer - at least in comparison to their body size -
adorn the heads of the reindeer. The male's antlers can grow
to be as much as 3 feet tall (almost as tall as their body)
and 4 feet in width! |
Bull in Velvet |
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The feet of Reindeer are broad
and flat with deeply cleft hooves. The structure of their feet allows
them to navigate the winter snows and the summertime spongy arctic
tundra. Tendons snap across a bone in the foot, producing a clicking
sound as Reindeer walk. |
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Reindeer eat most available
types of vegetation, including new growth leaves, lichens, evergreen
leaves, and fine twigs. |
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Reindeer Calf |
Mating typically occurs
in October. In May or June, after a gestation period of 227
to 229 days, a single calf is born. The calf follows its mother
within an hour of its birth, and is capable of outrunning
a human by the time it is a day old! The young nurse exclusively
for about one month, then occasionally until winter comes. |
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| Reindeer form large herds
of up to 200,000 animals, but they are typically found in
smaller groups of 10 to 1,000 animals. |
Herd of Reindeer |
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Reinseer are reputed to have
poor eyesight, and they are thought to locate food using their keen
sense of smell. They are fast animals, capable of attaining speeds
of 30 to 50 miles per hour. |
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Males are often loners until
mating season. Then they bellow and grunt loudly to lure females.
Competing for females, the males spar with their antlers.
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Reindeer and Caribou are the
same species. Reindeer are slightly smaller and were domesticated
in northern Eurasia about 2000 years ago. Today, they are herded
by many Arctic peoples in Europe and Asia including the Sami in
Scandinavia and the Nenets, Chukchi and others in Russia. These
peoples depend on the reindeer for almost everything in their economy
including food, clothing and shelter. Some Nenets even keep reindeer
for pets! |
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