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© Samiskt Informationscentrum |
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Reindeer are, and have long been, a central aspect of Sami society. They are a great survivor in the Arctic climate. Two different names are used when speaking about various reindeer species - reindeer and caribou. In simple terms, the reindeer found on the North American continent and in Greenland are called caribou, while those found in Scandinavia and Eurasia are called reindeer. Reindeer and caribou both belong to the same species, which goes by the scientific name of Rangifer tarandus, but there are various subspecies. Sweden is home to mountain reindeer and forest reindeer. The mountain reindeer lives in the mountains when there is no snow on the ground, and in coniferous forest during the winter. The forest reindeer lives in the forest region all year round. Here in Scandinavia, the reindeer is semi-domesticated and is used in both mountain and forest reindeer husbandry. A connoisseur Reindeer eat various types of lichen. However, they also graze on around 250 different green plant species. The reindeer is a true connoisseur, selecting certain species and preferring to feed on the youngest growth on the plant. In this way it can digest the food more easily, as the young parts of the plant do not contain as much vegetable fibre. When there is no snow on the ground, the reindeer build up a significant fat reserve in order to survive the winter. Hairy from top to toe The reindeer is adapted to long, cold winters. Every part of a reindeer is covered in fur - they even have a hairy muzzle. The individual hairs on the body are hollow, providing excellent insulation. The reindeer has a type of heat exchanger in its legs, with the venous blood being heated up by the arterial blood in special vascular balls. The blood that comes from the hooves has been cooled down significantly, but is warmed up before it reaches the heart again. As a result, reindeer do not suffer from hypothermia***. Reindeer also have plenty of blood vessels in their nostrils, which means that the air they breathe in is warmed up and that heat loss via the exhaled air is minimised. Considerable weight A mountain reindeer bull can weigh 100-150 kg immediately before the rutting season in September, and a reindeer cow can weigh 60 to 90 kg. A calf weighs 4-6 kg at birth in May, and 30-50 kg in the autumn. Forest reindeer bulls can weigh as much as around 180 kg. This difference in weight is due to the fact that forest reindeer husbandry is more stationary than mountain reindeer husbandry, and that the summer pasture in the forest is more nutritious. After many generations of semi-domestication, the forest reindeer has grown larger than its mountain relative, which undertakes long migrations between mountain and forest. Loses its antlers every year The reindeer belongs to the deer family Cervidae, and in this family the bulls tend to have antlers while the cows do not. The antlers are shed and grow back again every year. In the case of reindeer, however, both genders have antlers, and the calves grow antlers during their first summer. Reindeer bulls use their antlers to impress the reindeer cows and scare off other bulls during the rutting season (September/October). The reindeer bulls shed their antlers in November, at the end of the rutting season. Reindeer cows, on the other hand, retain their antlers during the winter. Using their antlers they can drive off much larger reindeer bulls from their pasture. The antlers provide the cows with a high status in the reindeer herd and are closely linked to pregnancy. The reindeer cows do not lose their antlers until they have given birth to their calves in May. New antlers grow during the spring, at which time they are covered with velvet. The velvet protects the growing antler and contains blood vessels. Both sexes clean their antlers immediately before the rutting season. The calves are born in May The mating period lasts for around a month in September/October. A reindeer cow's pregnancy lasts for around 225 days, and the calf is born in May. The reindeer calf suckles throughout the summer months. The milk is rich in both fat and protein, comprising 20-25% fat and having a protein content of 10%. The calf learns to eat the right plants from the cow. During the winter, the reindeer cow and the calf graze in the same area of pasture. A calf that has lost its mother may team up with an old reindeer bull, which in turn allows the calf to graze in its pasture. With its sharp antlers, a calf is also able to drive a bull that has lost its antlers away from its pasture. Only when the cow is about to give birth to a new calf does she drive off her one-year-old calf. Among semi-domesticated reindeer, some cows are able to tolerate a yearling remaining nearby, and may allow it to stay with her and the new calf. In this way, some reindeer cows may occasionally form small, close-knit herds made up of old cows and a number of daughters. This phenomenon is not very common, however. The clicking sound A clicking sound can be heard when reindeer walk. This is not the hooves knocking against each other, but rather a tendon insertion in the rear leg that slides over a bone and generates the clicking sound. The importance of this sound is uncertain, but it is possible that it makes it easier for the herd to stay together in the dark or in fog. The reindeer is a herd animal after all, and if a reindeer is frightened and starts to move, the other animals in the herd can hear the increase in the frequency of the clicks. Senast ändrad: 2006-10-03 |
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