Reindeer

The reindeer belongs to the deer family, in which there are a total of 36 species. Both cows and bulls have antlers, which is unique among deer.

The animals that live in the far north are also known as reindeer and are probably best known for being the draft animals for Santa's sleigh. However, it is a very important animal for the Sámi and other nature lovers around the world who keep reindeer for meat or to make clothes from their skins.

In the spring, several herds of reindeer gather to migrate to the summer grazing areas. Here you can see herds of up to 200,000. When reindeer migrate, they trot and move at an average speed of 30 kilometres per hour. A running reindeer can reach 60-80 kilometres per hour.

Reindeer are also skilled swimmers, partly because their air-filled fur acts as a life jacket.

The animal can withstand temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees centigrade, but tolerates heat very poorly.
Reindeer have wide and flat hooves that function as snowshoes. They also have a tendon in their legs that makes clicking sounds when they walk. These sounds make it easier for the animals to stick together in bad weather.
Reindeer have poor eyesight but a good sense of smell, which is used to find food and detect danger.

The animal is a herbivore, but for a protein supplement, it may kill lemmings and eat them.

• Distribution: Northern Hemisphere tundra - Canada, Finland, Greenland, Mongolia, Norway, Russia and Svalbard
• Population: Hunting and habitat destruction have led to a decline in numbers
• Weight: 90-270 kilos. In the Nordics rarely more than 150 kilos
• Shoulder height: 90-140 centimetres. In the Nordics rarely more than 120 centimetres
• Body length: 120-220 centimetres
• Sexual maturity: From 2-3 years of age
• Gestation: 7-8 months
• Number of cubs: Usually only 1
• Food: Lichen, moss, grass and leaves
• Life expectancy: 12-15 years
• Latin name: Rangifer tarandus

Specially designed for the job of Santa's helpers

For many, a real Christmas is a white Christmas, and with reindeer strapped to the sleigh, Father Christmas will arrive safely with all the presents, even if snow has fallen. The reindeer walk on large, wide hooves that can be spread out to work just like when humans put on snowshoes. Underfoot, reindeer have a soft pad, but when the weather gets cold, the pad hardens so that the animals can also scrape away light ice and snow. For the same reason, the reindeer at Aalborg Zoo live on a hard surface so they can wear out their hooves. For example, if they walked on soft grass, their hooves would have to be trimmed all the time. 

The reindeer's hooves aren't the only thing that make up their winter-friendly interior, and even the coldest December cold is no challenge for the reindeer. They are protected by a special two-piece coat consisting of a warm, woolly inner coat and a dense, hardy outer coat with air-filled hairs for extra insulation.

The fur is wave-shaped, so the hairs lie on top of each other, forming a kind of cape around their skin. So reindeer can stand outside with half a metre of snow on their backs and still be completely dry inside their skin. 

The reindeer therefore thrive without freezing in the cold and snowy Arctic, where temperatures can easily drop to 40 to 50 degrees below zero.

Rudolf with the red spout

There's actually some evidence to support the story of the brave Rudolph, who comes to Santa's rescue with his characteristic red nose. Reindeer have a reddish nose under their fur, and there's a good explanation for this. Reindeer have an unusually large number of blood vessels in their noses, so when they breathe in the extremely cold Arctic air, a maze of tiny blood vessels warms the air before it reaches the animal's lungs. However, there is no evidence to suggest that reindeer use their nose as a signpost like Rudolph, but they have another ingenious device that helps ensure they don't get lost in the snow.

The snow shovel is upside down

In reindeer, both males and females have antlers, and that in itself is unique. Reindeer are the only deer species where the females also have antlers because they need them in their harsh habitat. 

The antlers are designed to function as a small snow shovel, which is perfect when reindeer have to scrape through snow and ice to get to their food. Reindeer feed on grass, moss, leaves and lichen, and in winter they often have to dig through thick layers of snow to find food, which is the reason for another unique reindeer adaptation.

Reindeer shed their antlers every winter, but they have adapted so that it doesn't happen at the same time for all of them. Males shed their antlers first, while pregnant females keep theirs a little longer. Thus, if food becomes scarce, it is the pregnant females that have the best chance of surviving and ensuring the survival of the unborn calves, and thus the survival of the species.

In spring, the antlers grow back, always a little bigger every year. The new antlers are covered in a soft, furry skin called velvet, which provides blood supply to the antlers as they grow. When the antlers are fully grown, the velvet is loosened, which is why you may see reindeer standing around rubbing their antlers against the branches of spruce trees to sweep the velvet off. The bloody antlers may look dramatic, but there is no evidence to suggest that it is painful for the animals, at most it causes some itching.