16 Let’s Talk Trash! NOV/DEC 2017
©2017 The Keenan Group, Inc
Do reindeer live at the North Pole? It’s true! In fact, reindeer can be found in Northern Asia, Europe, Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland. In North America, reindeer are called “caribou.” Reindeer live together in herds. They live in extremely cold climates, swim in ice-chunked water and look clumsy, yet can run 45 miles per hour. More to ponder – both males and females have antlers, yet somehow breed. So some say they are magical and can certainly fly! Just ask Santa!
REAL LIFE REINDEER
Reindeer don’t fly, but they do sometimes have red noses. These animals are part of the deer family, or Cervidae, which includes deer, elk, moose and wapiti. Like others in their family, reindeers have long legs, hooves and antlers. Reindeer are also called caribou, depending on their location. They are called reindeer in Europe, but in North America, reindeer refers to Eurasian populations, and caribou
refers to wild populations in North America, according to the San Diego Zoo. Reindeer also often refers to domesticated animals, while caribou refers to wild populations. Some scientists think that the reindeer was one of the first domesticated animals. It was first domesticated around 2,000 years ago, according to the Smithsonian. Many Arctic societies still rely on this animal for food, clothing and materials for shelter. https://www.livescience.com/56310-reindeer-facts.html
1. Reindeer and caribou are the same thing. 2. Reindeer were originally connected to Santa through poetry. 3. Just recently, researchers at University College London discovered reindeer are the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light.
4. Reindeer are ideally designed for life in hostile, cold environments. 5. While not all reindeer migrate, some of them travel further than any other migrating terrestrial mammal.
FACTS ABOUT
REAL LIFE REINDEER
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