With visits by Santa’s Reindeer to Belle Mead Animal Hospital in years past, we thought we would treat you to some Reindeer facts this holiday season!
Did you know…
- Reindeer live in the Northern parts of North America including Canada and Alaska. They also live in Europe, Russia and Greenland in the tundra regions (as well as the North Pole with Santa!)
- Reindeer are also known as Caribou. In Europe they are called Reindeer most of the time. However, in America, we only call them Reindeer when they are domesticated. Otherwise, in the wild we call them Caribou. (Their scientific name, by the way, is Rangifer Tarasndus).
- Reindeer are herbivores meaning they eat plants.
- A Reindeer can live up to 15 years in the wild and can weigh from 240 to 700 pounds.
- A Reindeer’s antlers grow to be 3 feet tall. They shed their antlers in the winter, and no two Reindeer antlers look exactly the same!
- Reindeer use their hooves to dig for food in the snow. The outer edges of their hooves are sharp and help them walk on ice and rocks.
- A Reindeer can run 50 miles per hour!
All the best for a safe and healthy holiday season!
Joe Martins, DVM, Belle Mead Animal Hospital
Joe Martins, DVM, Belle Mead Animal Hospital