You can find reindeer across a wide range of Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, with native herds in the Arctic Tundra, Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada.
However, in North America, they go by a different name — caribou.
They stick to cooler climates, spending up to 40% of their life in the snow.
Thanks to their cloven hooves and hollow fur, they can easily navigate in slippery or soft snow, staying nice and toasty while foraging.
Speaking of food, leaves and plants can be hard to find in snowy climates. So reindeer prefer to dine on lichen — a type of mossy fungi — during colder months.
As members of the deer family, these furry creatures can be as tall as 2.14 metres (7 feet) at the shoulders and weigh up to 317.5 kilograms (700 pounds).
Their antlers can measure up to 1.4 metres (4.6 feet) long!
Historians believe that reindeer have been friends with humans and helping us pull sleds, carry heavy items, provide transportation, and serve as a source of food, fur, and milk for more than 3000 years!
In fact, of the roughly 25 million reindeer on the planet today, it’s estimated that roughly half are domesticated.
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