Everything You Need To Know About Reindeer, Which Are Well-Known For Pulling Santa’s Sleigh
Around the world, reindeer are known as Santa Claus’ trusty sleigh-pulling team. All the stories say that reindeer fly long distances to help the father of Christmas deliver presents to the right houses. And the team is led by one reindeer named Rudolph with a glowing red nose.
Don’t tell the children, but none of this is actually true. Reindeer are real animals—they just can’t fly. And they don’t have bright red noses that can light up the night. However, they do have other talents. Here are some common facts about these majestic creatures.
Reindeer live in the Arctic tundra and the boreal forests of northern Europe, Canada, and Alaska. They first arrived in Alaska by boat in 1892. Their peak was during the 1930s, with a population of about 640,000. Today, just 20,000 reindeer live in Alaska today.
They have long legs, antlers, and crescent-shaped hooves. There are two varieties of reindeer: tundra and forest.
Tundra reindeer migrate thousands of miles in massive groups, while forest reindeer stay in the woodland area all year long.
Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, which is unique among more than 45 species of deer. Males mostly use their antlers to fight each other for females, while females use theirs to defend for food.
According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, male antlers reach up to 50 feet long, and female ones get up to 20 inches.
In late fall or early winter, male reindeer will shed their antlers. But since females tend to be pregnant during the winter, they keep their antlers for protection until the spring.
Reindeer may not be able to fly, but they can swim. They can often be found crossing the Yukon River, which is the third longest in North America.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Calves only a couple of months old have been recorded swimming a distance of a mile and a half, per the National Park Service.
The reason they’re such good swimmers is their fur coats. Reindeer have thick, woolly undercoats to keep them warm in the Arctic, but their top layer is made of longer, tubular hairs with hollow shafts. Not only does it provide insulation, but it also lends them some buoyancy in the water.
Another interesting fact about reindeer is that they’re the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light. This discovery was made by researchers at University College London.
Humans are only able to see wavelengths to around 400 nanometers. In contrast, reindeer can see up to 320 nanometers, a spectrum humans have to use a blacklight to see.
Their ability to detect ultraviolet light helps reindeer spot food and predators more clearly in the glaring whiteness of the Arctic.
Reindeer also produce some of the richest and most nutritious milk of any mammal. It contains 22 percent butterfat and 10 percent protein.
Whole cow milk only has three to four percent fat, and human milk has three to five percent. The catch is that reindeer can only be milked for no more than two cups each day.
More About:Animals
Read This Next
