Caribou, better known as reindeer in Europe and in Christmas carols, are unique among deer species because the females have antlers as well as the males. These can near 40 inches in width, second only to the moose in size. While males use their antlers to assert their dominance for the best mating rights, females with the largest antlers gain the best grazing grounds.
Males tend to be larger overall than females, weighing between 350-400 lbs, although specimens weighing in at 700 lbs have been recorded. They can lose up to 40% of their body mass during the rutting (mating) season, expending significant amounts of energy protecting their harem of females from other males. These harems can be as large as 20 females.
In spite of their size, the primary source of food for caribou are lichens, one of the only foods available to them during the snowy winter months. Calves are born in May and June, making this a great time to visit caribou herds, and suckle for at least 45 days before starting to graze. Because of the need for protection during the calving season, migrating herds of caribou follow females to new ground.
Caribou naturally live in regions of high latitudes, meaning they can be found in Arctic and subarctic regions across the globe. Major populations exist in the northern climes of Europe, specifically parts of Scandinavia, alongside Siberian areas of Russia. The largest known herd of caribou, totaling around 1 million animals at its height, is the Taimyr herd of Siberia.
There are around 25,000 individual animals in Norway, and ten times that number in Sweden, where most are looked after by Sami indigenous peoples. In North America, herds are much smaller, with Canada recording numbers in the low tens of thousands in Labrador and Quebec in particular.
Other Arctic Wildlife
Arctic Fox / Arctic Hare / Arctic Wolf / Musk Ox / Polar Bear / Bearded Seal / Beluga Whale / Narwhal / Ringed Seal / Walrus / Arctic Tern / Gyrfalcon / Puffin / Snowy Owl
