Christmas and Reindeer - A Unique Animal

Reindeer are very social animals and they usually live in herds. The reindeer is a type of ungulate herbivore native to the Arctic tundra and Subarctic forests of northern Asia and North America. They usually graze on grasses and lichens that grow on the Arctic tundras, which are usually bare earth. Reindeer have long reddish brown or black hair covering their bodies except for their antlers, legs, tail and belly. They have long eyelashes called ‘antler palpebrae’ and two small horns above the eyes called ‘ branch antlers ’ that grow each year. Their hooves are hard like an ox’s hoof and their teeth look like those of rodents but with gaps between them that make it easier for them to chew grass leaves a little at a time instead of chewing them as much as rodents do. Reindeer also have antlers, which grow in groups of male reindeer during the rutting season. These antlers can be either male or female depending on their sex (as in most mammals). In addition, they also have large, knobbly teeth that help them grind up food so they can digest it more easily. Female reindeer have smaller antlers than male reindeer; these smaller antlers grow during the first few years after birth instead of regrowing every year as adult-sized antlers do.

Where do Reindeer live?

Reindeer live in the tundra, which is a climate type where the average temperature in both summer and winter is between -0.5 and -4 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature in summer is between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature in winter is between -10 and -5 degrees Celsius. The tundra is found in the Arctic, Siberia and Canada. Other reindeer live in the desert tundra in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In the United States and Canada, the tundra has patches of shrubs and almost no trees. In the Arctic tundra, there are also places where there is moss growing on the ground, or where there is a little more shrubbery and wood debris. In the Arctic tundra, some areas are slightly wet and are called ‘meadows’. The Arctic tundra is the least densely populated tundra biome, mostly because it is too cold for reindeer to live there year-round.

Reindeer Diet and Foraging Behavior.

Reindeer are herbivores, which means they eat mainly plants. Their diet varies depending on the season. In spring, reindeer eat mainly grasses, sedges and mosses. In summer and autumn, they eat mostly lichens and in winter, they eat mainly herbs. In spring and summer, they also eat a lot of dwarf birch, which is a small tree. In winter, they eat mainly herbs, but in spring and autumn, they eat a lot of dwarf birch. In the summer and autumn, reindeer eat a lot of lichens. These are small, brown or grey, waterproof fungi that grow on rocks, trees and other plants. They are very nutritious and can be eaten fresh or dried. According to reindeer herders, reindeer love these lichens and eat a lot of them. Drying and salting them is traditional reindeer food preparation in some areas.

Reindeer Reproduction and Calving

Reindeer can breed throughout the year in some places. However, in the Arctic, they usually breed in spring and summer and calve in autumn and winter. The gestation period is around 9 months and a reindeer calf weighs approximately 14 kg at birth. A female calf is usually able to stand up on its legs at 6 to 8 months of age and a male calf can stand up at 10 months of age. Female reindeer usually mate with one male and give birth to one calf. However, in some cases, a female may mate with two or more males, which causes confusion and disputes between the calves of the different males. This situation does not last long, as the female reindeer soon decide which of the males is the real father of the calf. Female reindeer have very soft and silky antlers and only the males have hard antlers that can be dangerous to other animals that try to get into the reindeer’s calves. The females shed their antlers every year and grow new ones. Usually, female reindeer have one or two births a year, but there have been reports of three or four births in a single year.

Reindeer Herding in the Wild

Reindeer were domesticated and herded in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries of northern Europe around the 8th century. They were probably domesticated initially to help with transport, as the reindeer can carry loads much more efficiently than humans can. Reindeer also move more quickly than humans, which can be very useful when trying to outrun wolves. In Scandinavia, reindeer were used primarily for transportation, but they were also used for food, as well as clothes, tools and other items. Reindeer hides were used for shoes, hats, bags and other items, and reindeer meat was used for food, salted or pickled. Reindeer hides were used for clothing because they were waterproof and windproof, so they protected the people wearing them from the cold and wind.

Conclusion

Reindeer are unique animals that play an important role in the ecosystems of northern regions of the world. They are social herbivores that live in specific ecological zones and forage for food on land. When humans domesticated reindeer and started herding them for transportation and food, they became an important part of many cultures.