Reindeer/Caribou Flashcards
True or false? Though both male and female reindeer have antlers, the males are larger and more ornate.
True.
What color is a reindeer’s coat in the summer?
Brown.
What color is a reindeer’s coat in the winter?
Gray.
How many feet tall are reindeer?
4 1/2
What is the weight range for reindeer?
200 - 600 pounds
What is the mating season for reindeer?
Fall.
True or false? Reindeer are monogamous.
False. Males often run a harem.
What is the gestation period in days of a reindeer?
228 days
How much do newborn reindeer weigh?
15 pounds
How long does it take a newborn reindeer to be able to outrun a human?
One day.
How many years does it take reindeer to be sexually mature?
3 1/2
What is the life expectancy of reindeer?
Wild: 5 years
Captivity: 20 years
What is the range and habitat of the reindeer?
It is found throughout the circumpolar regions of the globe in tundra and boreal forest.
What do reindeer do in the winter?
Migrate to southern parts of their range.
What do reindeer eat?
Grasses, shrubs, lichen, and twigs.
When are reindeer active?
The day.`
What is the top running speed of a reindeer?
50 mph
How many miles a day can a herd of reindeer travel?
34
True or false? Reindeer have the longest migration of any land mammal.
True.
How far do reindeer migrate?
3,100 miles.
Why do reindeer travel closer together in the winter?
To increase warmth.
What is special about the hairs of the reindeer?
They are hollow.
What do the specialized hairs of the reindeer do?
They insulate it by trapping heat and help them to float.
Why do reindeer have large hairs in their nasal cavities?
To protect them from inhaling snow when grazing.
Why do reindeer have such broad hooves?
To help them walk across deep snow.
True or false? Reindeer are strong swimmers.
True.
What do reindeer use to detect food and predators?
Smell.
What are some predators of the reindeer?
Bears, wolves, and humans.
What species plays the biggest role in the culture of the people of Siberia?
The reindeer.
How does the reindeer play into the culture of Eskimos and other northern indigenous people?
They are a source of food, clothing, utensils, and transportation. They are also revered and present in many myths.
What is the conservation status of the reindeer?
Least concern.
What are the main threats to the reindeer?
Climate change, development, over-hunting. Wild reindeer are at risk from inbreeding with domestic herds.
What disaster resulted in the slaughter of 3 million reindeer?
Chernobyl.
How many calves per year do reindeer produce?
One.
How many pounds can a reindeer pull?
Around 300
What is the difference between a reindeer and a caribou?
They are called reindeer in Eurasia and caribou in North America.
What is the name of the threatened subspecies of caribou?
Woodland caribou.
What is the favorite food of caribou?
Deer lichen.
How long does it take deer lichen to grow?
Hundreds of years.
Why do some eskimo tribes respect caribou so much?
The believe humans and caribou were once the same animal.
What season are reindeer calves born in?
Spring.
What is the velvet that grows on a reindeer’s antlers?
Very blood vessel-rich skin.
When do caribou shed their antlers?
At the end of the breeding season.
When do caribou begin growing new antlers?
At the beginning of summer.
True or false? the antlers of a caribou are larger each year.
True.
Why do reindeer’s hooves harden in the winter?
To cut into ice and snow. It also allows them to dig through snow to find lichen.
What makes the clicking noise when caribou walk?
Tendons slipping over bones.
What is the largest herd of caribou?
The porcupine herd.
How many caribou are in the porcupine herd?
Around 169,000
How much blood will some caribou lose to biting insects during the spring?
1 liter.
In their prime, how many days could it take a herd of caribou to cross the Yukon river?
Ten days.
How do white-tailed deer threaten caribou?
They carry a brain worm that, while only mildly threatening to them, is often fatal to caribou.
