Are reindeer real? Christmas Demystified Now!
Are reindeer real?
So you’ve asked yourself “are reindeer real?”.
Reindeer absolutely are real! Although the ones living in the wild sadly cannot fly a sleigh. However, they are still a pretty cool species of deer that are often known as caribou in North America.
…a little more info please?
The official name for the reindeer species is “Rangifer tarandus”. They are one of the only members of the deer family where the females also grow antlers! Reindeer, or caribou, live in a variety of countries including Canada, Alaska, and Northern parts of Asia and Europe. They don’t actually live exclusively at the north pole but do tend to be found in more Northern regions.
Reindeer are herbivores meaning that they eat plant material. Like many herbivores, they are considered a prey animal rather than a predator. This means that they tend to flee the situation and try to avoid being eaten rather than being top dog that hunts others down.
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Further Reading – check out these links if you want to learn more about reindeer!
https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/fun-facts-about-reindeer-and-caribou
https://www.britannica.com/animal/reindeer
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/caribou
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I knew reindeer were real and I knew none of them had red noses, but that’s about all I knew. I found this article very interesting. I wonder if anyone hunts reindeer like lots of people hunt deer during its season? You wouldn’t know if it was a male or female. Though it doesn’t look like they live anywhere in America where I live. I hope I will be able to see one someday. But don’t worry…I don’t hunt so they would be safe.
This was a cool post. I didn’t know that the official name was Rangifer tarandus. And neither that in this species, females also grow antlers. I like to give some background info when presenting a Christmas message. And this would fit fine into my speech. Thank you very much.
PD: I will wear a reindeer sweater for the occasion, LOL.
Glad that you enjoyed it!
Females of reindeer are the only members of the deer family that grow antlers! Wow! That’s new to me. Interesting and informative write up.
Though I knew they couldn’t fly a sleigh, their part of the Christmas story has always been very interesting to kids. I sure did when I was a kid. Lol.
I never even knew they are found mostly in cold areas, I always thought they would live in forests like the antelopes. Good to know.
Thanks for this.
Cheers,
Femi.
Glad you enjoyed the article!