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What are reindeer? |
by Kate Simmons >> more about the author
Reindeer have special hooves that are spongy during the wet summer months and tighter during the winter, which allows the rims of the hooves to stick out. These rims can then be used for digging in the snow for food, and for piercing the ice and snow while walking so the hooves grip rather than slip!
They have antlers and warm fur, and we often read stories about them during the holidays! They are reindeer, a type of deer that live in wooded forests and the cold, flat tundra. You can find reindeer in Russia, Greenland, China, Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska. In fact, reindeer in North America are called caribou.
Reindeer are truly interesting animals! For food, they enjoy a variety of vegetation, including grasses, leaves, mosses and lichens They are the only species of deer in which both the males and females grow antlers, and those antlers can grow up to one inch each day! They also have a great sense of smell and can even smell food that’s buried under snow. No wonder they make such great characters for our favorite stories!
Reindeer have special hooves that are spongy during the wet summer months and tighter during the winter, which allows the rims of the hooves to stick out. These rims can then be used for digging in the snow for food, and for piercing the ice and snow while walking so the hooves grip rather than slip!
