Reindeer

(Rangifer tarandus) The reindeer is the only deer species where both females and males have antlers. The wild reindeer was eradicated in our country in the 19th century. “Swedish reindeer” are now domesticated reindeer, kept by the Sámi. The reindeer is one of the most useful domestic animals. The Sámi name for the male reindeer is sarv, and the female is vaja. A castrated male reindeer is called härk and is used as a draft animal. Alive, the reindeer is used as a draft and pack animal (clövjereindeer), and the females can also be milked. When dead, virtually all parts of the reindeer are used after slaughter. Lichens of various kinds are the reindeer’s most important food. Reindeer are specially adapted to digest and make use of this sparse diet. In summer, the diet is expanded with grass, herbs, leaves, and mushrooms. In winter, the reindeer can use their hooves to scrape up ground lichens under the snow cover. They also eat hanging lichen from the trees. Wild reindeer are found across the tundra regions of the entire Northern Hemisphere. In North America, the reindeer is called Caribou.