16 Reindeer Facts!
- In North America reindeer are also called caribou.
- Both the males and females grow antlers.
- Their noses are specially designed to warm the air before it gets to their lungs.
- Reindeer hooves expand in summer when the ground is soft and shrink in winter when the ground is hard.
- Some subspecies have knees that make a clicking noise while walking so they can stay together in a blizzard.
- Some North American caribou migrate over 3,000 miles in a year—more than any other mammals.
- Golden eagles are the leading predator on caribou calves in the late spring and fall.
- They live on tundras. A tundra is a vast flat, treeless Arctic Region.
- Reindeer are herbivores meaning they are plant eaters. They eat lichen a type of moss, grass and plants.
- A reindeer can live up to 15 years in the wild.
- They can weigh anywhere between 240-700 pounds.
- Reindeer are usually 4-5 ft tall not including their antlers. Their antlers are 3ft tall!
- Like a human’s fingerprint no two reindeer antlers are exactly the same.
- Their hooves are used to dig for food in the snow. The outer edges of their hooves are sharp while help them walk on ice and rocks.
- Did you know that reindeer can run 50 miles per hour!
- A reindeer’s milk has more fat than cow’s milk.