Reindeer is a kind of large deer that lives in the northernmost regions of Europe and Asia. Reindeer and caribou make up a single species (type) of deer. Scientists break up this species into subspecies. The subspecies that live in Europe and Asia are called reindeer, while those that live in Greenland and northern North America are called caribou. Nomadic peoples from Europe and Asia herded and tamed reindeer.
Reindeer differ from other deer in several ways. For example, reindeer have larger antlers, larger and wider hoofs, and a heavy coat that is grayish-brown to almost white. These features help reindeer survive in the cold Arctic. The large hoofs, for example, prevent the reindeer from sinking into the snow during winter. Female reindeer and caribou are the only female deer to have antlers. Reindeer often make a variety of noises. When frightened, adults snort and young reindeer bawl. When reindeer walk, their feet make a clicking sound.
In summer, reindeer may eat grasses and leaves from willows and birches. In winter, they paw through the snow to find lichens to eat. In the short Arctic summers, plants grow slowly and cannot stand much grazing. So reindeer move frequently to a new place when their food becomes scarce. They may migrate several hundred miles or kilometers in a year. They are excellent swimmers and can cross large rivers and lakes. During migration, several thousand reindeer may gather into one herd. By traveling in herds, individual reindeer are protected from predators (hunting animals). Animals that prey on reindeer include grizzly bears, lynxes, wolves, and wolverines.
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The male reindeer is known as a bull. The female is called a cow. In the fall, the bulls fight with one another to gather their own group of cows, called a harem. A bull then mates with the cows in his harem, and later the harem breaks up. In the spring, a cow usually will bear one offspring, called a calf. After a few days, the calf is strong enough to join the herd. Adult reindeer stand about 3 to 4 feet (90 to 120 centimeters) high and weigh up to 400 pounds (180 kilograms).
Reindeer are useful to the Sami of northern Scandinavia. The Sami (formerly known, to outsiders, as Lapps) are one of the nomadic peoples known for developing much of their way of life around migrating herds of reindeer. They have trained reindeer to serve as pack animals and to pull sleds and sleighs. They use reindeer skin for boots, clothing, and tents. They also drink reindeer milk and eat reindeer meat. In some areas, snowmobiles, trucks, helicopters, two-way radios, and cell phones are used to herd the reindeer. But nomads in extreme northern Siberia still follow reindeer herds in the traditional way, with their possessions carried on a reindeer-pulled sled.
