Reindeer

Reindeer, (Rangifer tarandus), in North America, called caribou, are species of deer (family Cervidae) found in the Arctic tundra and adjacent boreal forests of Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada. In Europe, tamed reindeer exist. Tundra reindeer and forest (or woodland) reindeer are the two sorts of ecotypes. Huge herds of up to 500,000 tundra reindeer move between tundra and forest in a yearly cycle that can span up to 5,000 km (3,000 miles). There are substantially fewer forest reindeer.

Females are slightly smaller than large males, who can weigh more than 250 kilograms (550 pounds) and stand more than 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) tall at the shoulder. Reindeer are adept swimmers and have feet that can extend out on snow or soft ground thanks to their profoundly cloven hooves. From pale in the winter to brown in the summer, color fluctuates. Hollow heavy guard hairs improve the coat's insulating qualities. Only in this type of deer can females also have antlers, which can grow to be up to 44 points long and 1.4 meters long in males.