December 2009 - Reindeer
The Reindeer
Fun Trivia:
What is the average lifespan of reindeer living in the wild?
- Less than 5 years
- 15 years
- 30 years
Correct Trivia Answer: a) Less than 5 years. On average a reindeer lives about 4.5 years in the wild.
Reindeer
Ever since Clement Moore wrote his heart-warming verses, "'Twas the night before Christmas," in the nineteenth century, the image of reindeer became inseparable from Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus).
A member of the deer family, reindeer live in the northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia. Reindeer in the United States and Canada are called caribou. The word Reindeer was derived from "running deer". Reindeer stand about four feet tall at the shoulder. Their typical color is grayish brown, but some domesticated reindeer are white.
Reindeer are herbivores; in the wild they eat lichens, grasses, shrubs, mushrooms, and roots. They often find food by scraping under snow with their hooves and antlers. In captivity they are given a specially manufactured diet, supplemented with high quality hay.
For centuries, domesticated reindeer have served indigenous peoples including the Lapps in Norway, and the Tungus and Chukchi tribes in eastern Siberia. Reindeer have provided these tribes with milk, butter, cheese, meat and clothing. They are also trained for riding and harnessed to pull a loaded sleigh.
Fun Facts
The reindeer has wide spreading hooves, an adaptation to travel in deep snow. When walking, reindeer make a peculiar cracking noise produced by a tendon in the foot. Reindeer and caribou are the only deer (Cervidae) where males, females and calves produce antlers. Both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year. Most male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter— usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. The primary function of the male antler is for gaining social dominance.
If Male Reindeer Drop Their Antlers At The Beginning Of Winter, Does That Mean All Of Santa's Reindeer Are Female?
Since most male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, and since every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer shows them with antlers, every single one of them, from Rudolf to Blitzen ... had to be female.
But, not so fast, there is still hope for tradition. The key word here is most. So it is plausible to suppose that Santa Claus, as he drives his sleigh through the snow-filled sky every December 25th, drawn by eight "tiny" reindeer, that at least some of those reindeer, including one in particular with a shiny, red nose - could be male.
