(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. |
