A seasonal icon with a love of lichen and a winter coat to rival all others, reindeer are adapted to survive in some of nature’s harshest extremes
Words Amelia Jones
REINDEER
Rangifer tarandus
Class Mammalia
Territory United States, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Russia and Mongolia
Diet Lichen, leaves, roots, wood, bark, mushrooms, vegetation
Lifespan 8–15 years
Adult weight 55–318kg (121.3–701Ib)
Conservation Status
VULNERABLE
A hardy survivor
With over 2.8 million reindeer spread across challenging habitats, they rely on a range of unique adaptations to endure the cold
Made famous worldwide by Rudolph, the reindeer that pulls Santa Claus’ sleigh, the reindeer is best known for its glowing red nose and magical flying abilities in popular Christmas stories. However, while in real life these mammals can’t take to the skies, reindeer do have a raft of intriguing adaptations that help them to not only survive but thrive in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
Reindeer, also known as caribou in North America, are part of the Cervidae family, which includes moose, elk and deer. They have long legs, hooves and antlers and are herbivores, spending their time foraging for ferns, mosses, fungi, grasses and energy-rich lichen, also known as ‘reindeer moss’. Reindeer are unique in that they are the only large mammal able to digest lichen, something they can do due to special bacteria in their gut. They can eat up to eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) of vegetation in just one day, and some subspecies walk the distance of a marathon daily.
They are also the only type of deer where both the males and females grow antlers, growing and shedding a new pair each year. These antlers can reach well over one metre (3.3 feet) in length and weigh as much as 15 bags of sugar – that’s 15 kilograms (33 pounds)! They are used by males during the breeding season to battle for fertile females, while females deploy theirs to defend their territories and protect the best foraging spots. They also help the reindeer to dig down in the snow to reach their favourite food, juicy lichen.
Even more crucial to their survival is their thick fur coat. Reindeer are built to endure the cold – in fact, they are so adapted for the cold they are more likely to overheat than freeze. Their fur coat covers their entire body, even between their toes, and helps to regulate their temperature. They have large, hard feet with snow-shovelling hooves that provide grip in the snow and allow them to dig for food under the ice. However, their feet are able to adapt to the extreme seasons and their texture changes to suit the different terrains, which is partly why humans have relied on reindeer for transportation in the Arctic for hundreds of years.
Despite these impressive features, arguably their most amazing tool is their infamous nose. Reindeer have around 25 per cent more blood vessels in thei
