A deer of the Arctic and subarctic, called caribou in North America. It’s the only deer in which females can grow antlers, and the only deer semi-domesticated on a large scale.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Reindeer are semi-domesticated: they are herded, but wild herds are also hunted.
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Herded and hunted by northern peoples for food, clothing and transport.
At a glance
Found inArctic, Europe, North America, Asia
HabitatPolar, Forest, Mountains
ColoursBrown, Grey, White
SizeLarge
Length1.5–2.3 m
Weight55–318 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for15 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Circumpolar: the Arctic, subarctic, tundra and mountain regions of North America, Europe and Asia.
- What it eats
- Mostly plants; in winter it digs through snow for its favourite food, reindeer lichen.
Did you know
The only deer where females grow antlers too, and its eyes turn blue in winter.
Migrating caribou normally travel about 19–55 km a day.
Often confused with
- Deer
In most deer only the males grow antlers; in reindeer, females can grow them too.
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