The Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) or Reindeer in Eurasia, is a species of deer ranging from the northern continental USA to the Arctic Circle. Contrary to popular belief, caribou and reindeer are not completely different species, but rather different populations of the same species.
- Reindeer live from Scandinavia to Russia.
- They are shorter with a whiter, paler coat.
- They have been domesticated for their strength to pull sleighs.
Caribou are the only deer species where both male and females carry an impressive rack of antlers, although males and females have them at different times of the year. The females need to have antlers because they need to protect their calves against wolves, wolverines, and bears. The names given for caribou of different ages and sex differ from those of most other deer.
- Bucks are instead called bulls.
- Does are instead called cows.
- Fawns are instead called calves.
Each year they migrate North across the tundra in the spring and summer to find better grazing grounds. This often leads them to crossing rivers and walking for thousands of miles. This is one of the biggest land migrations in the world. The Peary caribou (R. t. pearyi) is the only subspecies of caribou to undergo drastic coat changes for the winter, being fully white in the winter and gray and tan in the summer.