Aside from pulling Father Christmas's sleigh, the reindeer (known as the caribou in North America) is a fairly typical species of deer, albeit one adapted to life in the Arctic and sub-arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
What are reindeer? How do they differ to deer?
The differences between reindeer and deer comes from adaptations to their environment. For example, reindeer are the only deer species to have hair completely covering their nose. This warms incoming cold air and improves their sense of smell – helpful when your food source is hidden under snow.
This thick coat of warming hairs is much prized by the indigenous Sami people of Scandinavia for garments and furnishings.
While, although there are many species of deer, their coats are (generally) much thinner than reindeer fur.
And while all deer browse a variety of trees and shrubs, reindeer include lichens, mosses and even birds' eggs and nestlings in their diet.
In most deer species only the male sports antlers, in reindeer females (or hinds) also bear them. As well as being used to defend themselves, female reindeers use their antlers to clear snow from the ground to get at food. Those with the largest antlers tend to be socially dominant and in the best overall physical condition.
Although male reindeer shed their antlers in the autumn and regrow them the following spring, females retain their antlers until spring, because access to food is critical during their winter pregnancy.
Some scientists therefore argue that Rudolph, who is universally depicted in late December with intact antlers, is female.
Reindeer died out in Britain 800 years ago, but in 1952 a small number were introduced to the Cairngorms. Today a semi-domestic herd of 150 animals roams the mountains.
