Deer vs Reindeer: What's the Difference?
In most deer only the males grow antlers; in reindeer, females can grow them too. The deer can be dangerous to people; the reindeer isn't dangerous to people.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, domesticated.
| Question | Deer | Reindeer |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | No, herbivore | No, herbivore |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | No |
| Domesticated? differs | No | Yes |
| Awake when? | Day & night | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | Yes | Yes |
At a glance
| Question | Deer | Reindeer |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Worldwide | Arctic, Europe, North America, Asia |
| Habitat differs | Forest, Grassland, Mountains, Wetland | Polar, Forest, Mountains |
| Size | Large | Large |
| Length differs | – | 1.5–2.3 m |
| Height differs | 32–35 cm (northern pudu) to 2.6 m (moose) | – |
| Weight differs | Up to 800 kg (moose) | 55–318 kg |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | In herds | In herds |
| Lives for differs | 10–20 years | 15 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Deer
Hoofed plant-eaters whose males, in almost every species, grow and shed a new set of bony antlers every year. Reindeer are the only deer in which females grow antlers too.
Reindeer
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.
Everything on the reindeer page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Commonly confused animals.