Reindeer

• It is the only deer in which both sexes grow antlers.
• Some North American populations migrate as much as 5,000 km a year.
• It feeds mainly on lichen, especially through the winter.
• fisiologíaIt is the only deer in which both males and females can grow antlers, and the reflective layer in its eyes changes colour between seasons to cope with the polar light.
• comportamientoIn some domesticated herds of northern Europe, herders still move whole populations along seasonal migration routes that have been kept up for generations.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Arctic tundra and boreal forest of Eurasia and North America (where the wild animal is called the caribou)

Birth weight

6 - 6.5 kg

Size at birth

Suckling within minutes of birth and following the herd within days

Sexual maturity

Female: 18 months | Male: 3 years to breed effectively, because of social competition

Gestation / incubation

225-235 days (~7.5 months)

Litter / clutch size

1 young (twins rare)

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of 21.8 years in captivity

Sources consulted: DinoAnimals.com; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); IUCN Global Invasive Species Database; Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game; Britannica; Animal Diversity Web; Cool Antarctica