When you live as far north as Reindeer do, you can’t be afraid of the dark. How are Reindeer adapted to the darkness? In summer hoof pads are think and spongey for walking on softer ground, but they shrink in winter to expose the rim of the hoof, which is better for scraping ice and also reduces exposure to cold ground. The hooves are also used for digging in snow and as paddles when swimming.īut that isn’t the only adaptation. The toes spread to distribute their weight as they walk and the dew claws provide grip when walking on uneven ground. Reindeer have large hooves with two toes and two dew claws. Their nose also has a heat-exchange system that warms air on its way into the lungs and cools it on its way out. The underlayer consists of fine, dense hairs while the outer shaggier layer consists of hollow hairs that help insulate and keep them warm.
Reindeer thrive in cold climates, but that’s because they are well adapted to their habitat. Share How are Reindeer adapted to the cold? Females, or cows, like to get a head start and leave several weeks before the males, who set off later. Forest Reindeer may be more dispersed in their woodland homes and travel shorter distances than Tundra Reindeer that come together in large herds and can travel thousands of kilometres between forest wintering grounds in summer tundra. But how far they travel depends on the location and sub-species. Yes! Reindeer are constantly on the move.
Gestation lasts for around 234 days, at which point the female will give birth to one calf in a relatively isolated and predator-free area.
Reindeer mate between September and November, when males will compete with other males to win the right to mate with multiple females. But, what about in the wild? Reindeer are herbivores, so eat only plants feasting on a mix of grasses, shoots, leaves, fungi and mosses. What do Reindeers eat?Ī mince pie for Santa and a carrot for the Reindeer, that’s what we leave out on Christmas eve, in the UK at least. Reindeer spend their life in the cold, inhabiting the arctic and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere including North America, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Russia and Mongolia. Males generally have larger antlers and will likely lose them during the winter time, which means Santa’s Reindeer may be female! Where do Reindeers live? Like all deer species, Reindeer have impressive antlers, but they are actually the only deer species in which both males and females have them. Also known as Caribou, Reindeer are probably most famous for the role in pulling Santa’s sleigh at Christmas.
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