Reindeer/Caribou
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae Subfamily: Odocoileinae Genus: Rangifer C.H. Smith, 1827 Species: R. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The even-toed ungulates form the Mammal order Artiodactyla. They are Ungulates whose weight is borne (if they have more than two toes about A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hamilton Smith ( December 26, 1776, East Flanders, Belgium – September 21, 1859, Plymouth tarandus
Binomial name
Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Reindeer map

The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as the caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer, widespread and numerous across the northern Holarctic Region. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada and A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The Holarctic Ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole

Distribution and habitat

Large male Reindeer

The reindeer is widespread and numerous in the northern Holarctic Region. The Holarctic Ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole Originally it was found in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Russia, Mongolia and northern China north of the 50th latitude. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the In North America it was found in Alaska, Canada and the northern States from Washington to Maine. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean In the 19th century it was apparently still present in southern Idaho. The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. It also occurred naturally on Sakhalin, Greenland and probably even in historical time in Scotland and Ireland. Sakhalin (Сахали́н səxʌˈlʲin Japanese:nihongo|樺太|karafuto or; Chinese: 庫頁 Kùyè also Saghalien, is a large elongated Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world During the late Pleistocene reindeer were found as far south as Nevada and Tennessee in North America and Spain in Europe. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ^[1][2] Today wild reindeer have disappeared from many areas within this large historical range, especially from the southern parts where it vanished almost everywhere. Large populations of wild reindeer are still found in Siberia, Greenland, Alaska and Canada. Domesticated reindeer are mostly found in northern Scandinavia, Russia and Iceland (where they were introduced by humans in the 18th century). Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The last wild reindeer in Europe are found in portions of southern Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The southern boundary of the species' natural range is approximately at 62° north latitude. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the

Southern-most reindeer: a South Georgian reindeer with velvet covered horns.

A few reindeer from Norway were introduced to the South Atlantic island of South Georgia in the beginning of the 20th century. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ( SGSSI) is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Today there are two distinct herds still thriving there, permanently separated by glaciers. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Their total numbers are no more than a few thousand. (The flag and the coat of arms of the territory contain an image of a reindeer. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people )

Around 4. 000 reindeers have been introduced into the French subantarctic archipelago of Kerguelen islands. The Kerguelen Islands (in French: commonly Îles Kerguelen or Archipel de Kerguelen but officially Archipel des Kerguelen or Archipel

Biology and behavior

Reindeer antlers grow again each year under a layer of fur called velvet. This reindeer is currently losing the velvet layer on one of its antlers.

Anatomy

The weight of a female varies between 60 and 170 kg (130 and 370 lb). The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass In some subspecies of reindeer, the male is slightly larger; in others, the male can weigh up to 300 kg (660 lb). Both sexes grow antlers,^[3] which (in the Scandinavian variety) for old males fall off in December, for young males in the early spring, and for females, summer. Antlers are the usually large and complex horn -like appendages of most Deer species mostly worn by males only for some species such as Caribou by both The antlers typically have two separate groups of points (see image), a lower and upper. Domesticated reindeer are shorter-legged and heavier than their wild counterparts. This is a list of animals that have been domesticated by Humans.

Reindeer have specialized noses featuring nasal turbinate bones that dramatically increase the surface area within the nostrils. In Anatomy, a turbinate (or nasal concha) is a long narrow and curled bone shelf (shaped like an elongated sea-shell which protrudes into the breathing passage Incoming cold air is warmed by the animal's body heat before entering the lungs, and water is condensed from the expired air and captured before the deer's breath is exhaled, used to moisten dry incoming air and possibly absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes. Thermoregulation is the ability of an Organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries even when temperature surrounding is very different The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular mucosa) are linings of mostly endodermal origin covered in Epithelium, which are involved in

Reindeer hooves adapt to the season: in the summer, when the tundra is soft and wet, the footpads become spongy and provide extra traction. HoofRearHoovesjpg|thumb|200px|right|Rear hooves of a horse]] A hoof is the tip of a Toe of an Ungulate Mammal, strengthened by a thick horny ( In the winter, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the rim of the hoof which cuts into the ice and crusted snow to keep the animal from slipping. Ice is a Solid phase, usually crystalline, of a Non-metalic substance that is liquid or gas at Room temperature, such as Ammonia "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. This also enables them to dig down (an activity known as "cratering")^[4][5] through the snow to their favorite food, a lichen known as reindeer moss. Lichens (ˈlaɪkən or /lɪtʃən/ are symbiotic associations of a Fungus (the mycobiont with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as Cladonia rangifera undersideJPG|thumb|The underside of C rangiferina ]] Cladonia rangiferina, also known as Reindeer lichen (c The knees of many species of reindeer are adapted to produce a clicking sound as they walk. This is to alert other members of their herd of their presence, especially in blizzard conditions.

The reindeer coat has two layers of fur, a dense woolly undercoat and longer-haired overcoat consisting of hollow, air-filled hairs. Fur is a body hair of any non-human Mammal, also known as the Pelage. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species

Diet

Reindeer are ruminants, having a four-chambered stomach. Physiologically a ruminant is a Mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first stomach known They mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss. Lichens (ˈlaɪkən or /lɪtʃən/ are symbiotic associations of a Fungus (the mycobiont with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as Cladonia rangifera undersideJPG|thumb|The underside of C rangiferina ]] Cladonia rangiferina, also known as Reindeer lichen (c However, they also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses. Willows, sallows and osiers form the Genus Salix, around 400 species of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs found primarily Birch is the name of any Tree of the genus Betula ( Bé-tu-la) in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the The family Cyperaceae, or the sedges, is a taxon of monocot Flowering plants that superficially resemble grasses or rushes Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include There is some evidence to suggest that on occasion they will also feed on lemmings^[6], arctic char, and bird eggs^[7]

Herd of Barren-ground Caribou on the Thelon River

Reproduction

Mating occurs from late September or October to early November. Lemmings are small Rodents usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra Biomes Together with the Voles and Muskrats they make Arctic char or Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus) is both a Freshwater and saltwater Fish in the Salmonidae family The Thelon River stretches across northern Canada. Its source is Whitefish Lake in the Northwest Territories, and it flows east to Baker Lake Males battle for access to females. Two males will lock each other’s antlers together and try to push each other away. The most dominant males can collect as many as 15-20 females to mate with. A male will stop eating during this time and lose much of its body reserves. Calves may be born the following May or June. By 45 days the calves are able to graze and forage but continue suckling until the following fall and become independent from their mothers.

Migration

The reindeer travels the furthest of any terrestrial mammal. The caribou of North America can run at speeds up to 80 km/h (50 mph) and can travel as much as 5,000 km (3,100 mi) a year. Migrations can number in the thousands. The most extensive migrations occur in spring and fall. During fall migrations, the groups become smaller and the reindeer begin to mate. During the winter, reindeer travel to forested areas to forage under the snow. By spring, groups leave their winter grounds to go to the calving grounds. A reindeer can swim easily and quickly; migrating herds will not hesitate to swim across a large lake or broad river.

Reindeer and humans

Hunting

See also: Reindeer hunting in Greenland

Reindeer hunting by humans has a very long history and caribou/wild reindeer "may well be the species of single greatest importance in the entire anthropological literature on hunting. Reindeer hunting in Greenland is of great importance to the Kalaallit ( Greenland Inuit) and sporting hunters, both residents and "^[8]

Humans started hunting reindeer in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods and humans are today the main predator in many areas. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Norway and Greenland have unbroken traditions of hunting wild reindeer from the ice age until the present day. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets In the non-forested mountains of central Norway, such as Jotunheimen, it is still possible to find remains of stone built trapping pits, guiding fences and bow rests, built especially for hunting reindeer. Jotunheimen ( English: The Home of the Giants is a mountainous area of roughly 3500 km² in Southern Norway. Trapping pits are deep pits dug into the ground or built from stone in order to trap animals These can, with some certainty, be dated to the Migration Period although it is not unlikely that they have been in use since the Stone Age. The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions, or sometimes Völkerwanderung ( German for "wandering of peoples" is the English name The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking

In absence of other great predators in significant populations, hunting is today a necessary means to control stocks to prevent overgrazing and eventually mass death from starvation. Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to Livestock Grazing for extended periods of time or without sufficient recovery periods Norway is now preparing to apply for nomination as a World Heritage Site for areas with traces and traditions of reindeer hunting in Central Sørlandet (Southern Norway). A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Southern Norway ( Norwegian: Sørlandet) (lit "southern land" is the name of the geographical region ( landsdel) of the Skagerrak

Wild caribou are still hunted in North America and Greenland. In the traditional lifestyle of the Inuit people, Northern First Nations people, Alaska Natives, and the Kalaallit of Greenland, the caribou is an important source of food, clothing, shelter and tools. Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. Kalaallit is the Greenlandic term for the population living in Greenland.

Reindeer husbandry

Milking reindeer in the 19th century

Reindeer have been herded for centuries by several Arctic and Subarctic people including the Sami and the Nenets. Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group ( Herd) maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place&mdashor any combination of The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The Nenets people ( Ethnonym in Nenets language: ненэця Russian name ненцы IPA: (plural--> They are raised for their meat, hides, antlers and, to a lessening extent, for milk and transportation. Reindeer are not considered fully domesticated, as they generally roam free on pasture grounds. In traditional nomadic herding reindeer herders migrate with their herds between coast and inland areas according to an annual migration route, and herds are keenly tended. However, reindeer have never been bred in captivity, though they were tamed for milking as well as for use as draught animals or beasts of burden. A working animal is an animal that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks

The use of caribou as semi-domesticated livestock in Alaska was introduced in the late 1800s by Sheldon Jackson as a means of providing a livelihood for Native peoples there. Rev Sheldon Jackson (1834&ndash1909 was a Presbyterian Missionary in the Western United States in the 19th century The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical A regular mail run in Wales, Alaska used a sleigh drawn by caribou. Wales is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 152 In Alaska, caribou herders use satellite telemetry to track their herds, using online maps and databases to chart the herd's progress. This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite.

Economy

The reindeer has (or has had) an important economic role for all circumpolar peoples, including the Saami, Nenets, Khants, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Chukchi and Koryaks in Eurasia. See also Indigenous peoples This is a selected list of the world's indigenous peoples. Khanty / Hanti (obsolete Ostyaks) are an endangered Indigenous people calling themselves Khanti Khande Kantek (Khanty living in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous The Evenks or Evenki (autonym Эвэнкил Evenkil; Эвенки Evenki; 鄂温克族 pny ''Èwēnkè Zú'' formerly known as Tungus The Yukaghir, or Yukagirs (юкаги́ры self-designation одул ( odul) деткиль ( detkil) are a people in East Siberia, living Chukchi, or Chukchee (чукчи ( plural) ru чукча ( singular) are an Indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula Koryaks (or Koriak are an indigenous people of Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East, who inhabit the coastlands of the Bering Sea to the south of the It is believed that domestication started between Bronze Age-Iron Age. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Siberian deer-owners also use the reindeer to ride on. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving (Siberian reindeer are larger than their Scandinavian relatives. ) For breeders, a single owner may own hundreds or even thousands of animals. The numbers of Russian herders have been drastically reduced since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The fur and meat is sold, which is an important source of income. Reindeer were introduced into Alaska near the end of the 19th century; they interbreed with native caribou subspecies there. Reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula have experienced significant losses to their herds from animals (such as wolves) following the wild caribou during their migrations. The Seward Peninsula is a large peninsula on the western coast of the U

Reindeer meat is popular in the Scandinavian countries. Reindeer meatballs are sold canned. A meatball is a generally mass of ground Meat that is typically rolled meat comprised of rolled ground beef and other ingredients such as Bread or Sautéed reindeer is the best-known dish in Lapland. Sautéed reindeer ( poronkäristys in Finnish) is the perhaps best known traditional meal from Lapland, especially in Finland In Alaska, reindeer sausage is sold locally to supermarkets and grocery stores. A sausage is a prepared Food, usually made from Ground meat, animal fat salt and Spices (sometimes with other ingredients such as herbs typically packed A grocery store is a store established primarily for the Retailing of Food.

Reindeer antler is powdered and sold as an aphrodisiac, nutritional or medicinal supplement to Asian markets.

A company from Wales (UK) is also making paper from the cellulose fibres recovered from the dung of reindeer - which they call Reindeer Poo PaperTM.

Caribou have been a major source of subsistence for Canadian Inuit. Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting

In History

The first written description of reindeer is in Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (chapter 6. Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar 's third-person account of his nine years of war in Gaul. 26) from the 1st century BC. Here, it is described:

There is an ox shaped like a stag. In the middle of its forehead a single horn grows between its ears, taller and straighter than the animal horns with which we are familiar. At the top this horn spreads out like the palm of a hand or the branches of a tree. The females are of the same form as the males, and their horns are the same shape and size.

Local names

The name Caribou comes, through French, from Mi'kmaq qalipu, meaning "snow-shoveler", referring to its habit of pawing through the snow for food. ^[9] In Inuktitut the caribou is known by the name tuttuk (Labrador dialect). Inuktitut ( Inuktitut syllabics: iu-Cans ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ( fonts required literally "like the Inuit") is the name of the varieties of

Subspecies

• Arctic reindeer (R. tarandus eogroenlandicus), an extinct subspecies found until 1900 in eastern Greenland. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. In Zoology, as in other branches of Biology, subspecies is the Taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a Species.
• Barren-ground Caribou (R. Barren-ground Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are a Subspecies of caribou that are found mainly in the Canadian territories tarandus groenlandicus), found in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada and in western Greenland. Nunavut (ˈnuːnəvʊt ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ is the largest and newest territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the
• Finnish Forest Reindeer (R. tarandus fennicus), found in the wild in only two areas of the Fennoscandia peninsula of Northern Europe, in Finnish/Russian Karelia, and a small population in central south Finland. Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Karelia ( Karelian and Finnish Karjala, Карелия ( Kareliya) Karelen the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Karelia population reaches far into Russia, however, so far that it remains an open question whether reindeer further to the east are R. t. fennicus as well.
• Mountain/Wild Reindeer (R. tarandus tarandus), found in the Arctic tundra of Eurasia, including the Fennoscandia peninsula of Northern Europe.
• Peary Caribou (R. The Peary Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus pearyi) is a caribou Subspecies found in the high Arctic islands of Canada 's Nunavut tarandus pearyi), found in the northern islands of the Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada.
• Porcupine caribou or Grant's Caribou (R. The Porcupine Caribou or Grant's Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus granti) herd is located in the northern Yukon and Alaska. tarandus granti) which are found in Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. The Northwest Territories (ˌnɔrθˌwɛstˈtɛrɨtɔriz ( NWT or NT; French, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is a territory
• Queen Charlotte Islands caribou (R. The Queen Charlotte Islands Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus dawsoni) or Dawson's Caribou is an Extinct animal that had once lived tarandus dawsoni) is an extinct subspecies that had once lived in Graham Island, British Columbia, Canada. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. See also Graham Island (disambiguation. Graham Island is the largest of the Queen Charlotte Islands (aka Haida Gwaii
• Svalbard Reindeer (R. tarandus platyrhynchus), found on the Svalbard islands of Norway, is the smallest subspecies of reindeer. Svalbard is an Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole.
• Woodland Caribou (R. The migratory woodland Caribou (in Latin Rangifer tarandus caribou) of Northern Quebec and Labrador live in two wild herds the Leaf herd with 628000 tarandus caribou), or forest caribou, once found in the North American taiga (boreal forest) from Alaska to Newfoundland and Labrador and as far south as New England and Washington. Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Woodland Caribou have disappeared from most of their original southern range and are considered "threatened" where they remain, with the notable exception of the Migratory Woodland Caribou of northern Quebec and Labrador, Canada. Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Modern Labrador Just like its island neighbour Newfoundland early settlement in Labrador was tied to the sea as demonstrated by the Montagnais, Innu and The name of the Cariboo district of central British Columbia relates to their once-large numbers there, but they have almost vanished from that area in the last century. The Cariboo is an Intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C A herd is protected in the Caribou Mountains in Alberta. The Caribou Mountains are a mountain range surrounding an elevated plateau in northern Alberta, Canada and which rise north of the lower Peace River Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905

Rangifer. net has a map of subspecies ranges.

Reindeer in Christmas

Santa Claus's reindeer

Main article: Santa Claus's reindeer

Two Scottish reindeer relax after pulling Santa's sleigh, at the switching on of Christmas lights

Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer. Santa Clause's Reindeer are a team of flying animals traditionally held to pull his sleigh and help him deliver Christmas gifts Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply " Santa " is the These were first named in the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, where they are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem. Dunder was later changed to Donder and — in other works — Donner (in German, "thunder"), and Blixem was later changed to Blitzen (German for "lightning"). Some consider Rudolph as part of the group as well, though he was not part of the original named work referenced previously. Rudolph was added to the story by Robert L. May in 1939 as "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus 's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored "

Miscellaneous

• The caribou is the official national animal of Isle de Beaulieu.
• The Canadian quarter features a depiction of a Caribou on one face. The quarter is a Canadian Coin, valued at 25 cents or one-fourth of a Canadian dollar.
• Several Norwegian municipalities have one or more reindeer depicted in their coat-of-arms: Eidfjord, Porsanger, Rendalen, Tromsø, Vadsø and Vågå. Eidfjord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Porsanger ( Norwegian) or Porsáŋgu ( Northern Sami) or Porsanki ( Kven / Finnish) is a municipality in the Rendalen is a municipality in the county of Hedmark, Norway Rendalen was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt) ( Romsa in Northern Sami, Tromssa in Kven and Finnish) is a city and municipality in the county of Troms, ( Čáhcesuolu in Northern Sami, Vesisaari in Finnish) is a city and municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway. Vågå is a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. The parish of Vaage was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see
• The historic province of Västerbotten in Sweden has a reindeer in its coat-of-arms. is a province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders Ångermanland, Lapland, Norrbotten and the Gulf "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The present Västerbotten County has very different borders and uses the reindeer combined with other symbols in its coat-of-arms. Västerbotten County ( Västerbottens län) is a county or Län in the north of Sweden. The city of Piteå also has a reindeer. Piteå (or Pite in the local dialect is a city in Norrbotten in northern Sweden.
• The Caribou is the official provincial animal of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
• Caribou is a city in northern Maine. Caribou is a city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. Its population was 8312 at the 2000 census The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
• There is a chain of coffee stores in North America called Caribou Coffee. Caribou Coffee ( is a specialty Coffee retailer the second largest in the United States after Starbucks

References

• Deer Specialist Group (1996). Rangifer tarandus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006.
• Reindeer Roundup! A K-12 Educator's Guide to Reindeer in Alaska. 2004. Carrie Bucki with Greg Finstad and Tammy A. Smith. Reindeer Research Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as

External links

• 1935 Reindeer Herding in the Northwest Territories
• Reindeers.info - Articles and information about Reindeer
• General information on Caribou and Reindeer
• Human Role in Reindeer/Caribou Systems
• Wild reindeer areas in Norway
• Reindeer Studies in South Georgia and Norway
• Reindeer hunting as World Heritage - a ten thousand year-long tradition
• Adaptations To Life In The Arctic - Instructional slide-show, University of Alaska
• Villreinen magazine (Norwegian for Wild Reindeer)

Caribou-specific links (North America)

• Mammal Fact Sheets: Caribou
• Frequently Asked Questions about Caribou from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Caribou and You - Campaign by CPAWS to protect the Woodland caribou, a species at risk in Canada. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society ( CPAWS) was founded in 1963 to help protect Canada 's wilderness
• Newfoundland Five-Year Caribou Strategy Seeks to Address Declining Populations