Author: Peter

(Rangifer tarandus fennicus) Translation: The reindeer is the only deer species where both the female and male have antlers. The forest reindeer is a subspecies of the tundra reindeer and is adapted to living in the large forests. It has considerably longer legs, broader hooves and a narrower antler crown compared to the tundra reindeer. The wild reindeer became extinct in Sweden in the 1860s, and it was protected 50 years later in 1915. They live in small herds. Nowadays, the "Swedish reindeer" are domesticated reindeer, which are kept by the Sami people.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	180-200 kg (males), 120-140 kg (females).
Lifespan:	ca 15 years
Mating season:	July - August
Gestation period:	9-10 months, but with a delayed fetal development - the fetus begins to develop about 5 months before birth.
Calves:	They are born in May-June.

(Rangifer tarandus) The reindeer is the only deer species where both the male and female have antlers. The wild reindeer was extinct in our country during the 1800s. "Swedish reindeer" nowadays refer to domesticated reindeer kept by the Sami people. The reindeer is one of the most useful domesticated animals. The Sami name for the male reindeer is "sarv" and for the female "vaja". A castrated male reindeer is called a "härk" and is used as a draft animal. As a living animal, the reindeer is used as a draft and pack animal (pack reindeer) and the females can also be milked. After slaughter, virtually all parts of the reindeer are used. Lichens of various kinds are the reindeer's most important food. Reindeer are specially adapted to digest and utilize the sparse diet. During the summer, their diet is supplemented with grass, herbs, leaves, and mushrooms. In winter, reindeer use their hooves to dig through the snow to find ground lichens. They also eat hanging lichens from trees. Wild reindeer can be found throughout the tundra areas of the northern hemisphere. In North America, they are called Caribou.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	70 - 150 kg (male), 40 - 100 kg (female).
Lifespan:	Around 20 years.
Mating season:	September - October
Gestation period:	8 months
Calves:	They are born in May-June.

(Ovibos moschatus) The musk ox is the last of the great prehistoric animals. They lived alongside mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses during the last ice age - even in our country. The mammoths and rhinoceroses have been extinct for a long time, but the musk oxen continue to survive in the harsh and cold tundra areas. The musk oxen died out in Scandinavia 3000 years ago. In the summer of 1971, a handful of musk oxen migrated to Härjedalen from Norway. By the mid-1980s, the number of animals was about 34. The musk oxen's only natural enemy is the wolf. The adult musk oxen form a tight ring (with their horns outward) around the calves as a defense against wolf attacks. The wolves have a very difficult time getting past the "living wall" and taking the calves.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae)
Weight:	Between 225-400 kg. Bulls are significantly heavier than cows.
Lifespan:	Around 20 years.
Mating season:	July - August
Gestation period:	7 - 9 months
Calves:	They are born in April-June the year after mating.

(Cervus elaphus) The red deer has been present in Sweden since the Ice Age. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was close to extinction in our country. Today, the population is slowly increasing. They mainly live in Skåne. Otherwise, the red deer can be found in southern and central Sweden and occasionally even in the coastal areas of northern Sweden. The adult deer has antlers that normally have three forward-facing points. The top points form a "crown", which has given the red deer its name.

Belongs to:	Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family:	Deer family (Cervidae)
Weight:	About 250 kg (male), about 120 kg (female).
Lifespan:	30 years
Mating season:	September - October
Gestation period:	Approximately 235 days
Calves:	They are born in May-June, usually only 1 calf but in rare cases 2 calves.