The reindeer
An excellent swimmer
This cervid of the Arctic Regions is called Reindeer in Europe and Caribou in Quebec.
A robust animal, able to survive in freezing cold, the Reindeer can weigh up to 100 kg. Thanks to its wide hooves, it can easily walk in snow or on muddy ground when thawed. It is also an excellent swimmer.
It feeds on grass, bark and lichen and, according to the season, large herds carry out long migrations in the tundra, in search of food.
Contemporary of the Mammoths, the Reindeer has survived thanks to its ability to limit its energy expenditure and to live on its fat reserves during the polar winter.
Domesticated in north of Scandinavia and in Siberia, the Reindeer serves as a work animal and enables the Arctic people to survive, thanks to its milk, meat, antlers and skin. The wolf is its main predator.
A less threatened species
- Name: Reindeer
- Latin name: Rangifer tarandus.
- Origin: Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and America
- IUCN status: Vulnerable
- Cites: --
