Christmas
arrives in about 4 months
and
soon we'll be envisioning tree decor...bells and holly...
carols...busy
elves...Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
And
it behooves me to introduce REIN and DEER
whom
we have forever loved.
ANI (my mammal journalist) and CANGO (from Canada Goose Travel) also
believe it is timely for them to pay homage to Santa's renowned
antlered reindeer residing at the North Pole.
Off to Canada North, Siberia and Norway ~ ANI and CANGO flew!
In their research, elk, moose and wapiti also belong to the deer
family ~ all having long legs, hooves and antlers; their tails are
very short and blunt. Reindeer, also called caribou, are native to
North America and inhabited by populations of wild reindeer ~ and
also by domesticated animals. Scientists believe that the reindeer
were first tamed at least 2,000 years ago. Many Arctic societies
still rely on this animal for food, clothing and materials for
shelter.
ANI and CANGO, in Canada's North, discovered REIN and DEER
on Arctic tundra before their
yearly nomadic migration.
Overnight had been blizzardly cold, yet ANI, clad in boots and furs,
met an inquisitive 'cow' with snow-covered nose ~ and flakes of cold
white stuff on her face, ears and antlers of brown.
ANI asked DEER about her herd.
DEER:
Living
in arctic and sub-arctic regions, we are hardy and ruggedly built.
There are numerous sub-species with variations in size, colour and
antler appearance.
ANI: Your huge spread of antlers impress me! What can you tell me
about them?
DEER:
We
are the only species of deer in which the females have antlers; and
for body-mass, have the largest set of antlers. Our males have larger
racks of antlers which they use 'in combat' to fight with other males
for the rite to mate with females in the herd
~ then
shed them in early winter.
We females shed our antlers much later
which
means that Santa's
sleigh is likely powered by a group of she-deer!
CANGO: Of interest to me, REIN, is your mass migrations. What can
you tell me?
REIN:
Not
all reindeer migrate ~ but those who do, can travel farther than
other migrating terrrestrial mammals. Some North American reindeer
travel over 3,000 miles per year ~ going an average of 23 miles a
day. The source for food is the basis for our migrations where we'll
spend a few months. This absence provides new growth opportunity for
our present feeding areas.
CANGO:
How are your feet affected on these long, arduous treks?
REIN:
You
must understand that in summer, our foot pads become 'sponge-like'
providing extra traction for the soft tundra. In winter, the pads
shrink and tighten, exposing the hoof rim, which cuts into the ice
and snow ~ and allows our feet to dig as well, when necessary to
locate food.
CANGO: One last question, REIN, I ask about your diet.
REIN:
We reindeer are the only mammals in the world, specially adapted to
eat 'lichen' ~ a spongy moss that grows on rocks during the harsh
winter months. Known as 'reindeer-moss' it is broken down in our
stomachs by an enzyme which is completely unique to the reindeer.
When on the move, searching for food, we cross lakes and rivers en
masse ~ often swimming at speeds up to 4 to 6 miles per hour. We can
leap gullies and other obstacles with ease.
CANGO: My last comment to you, REIN is that you must have amazingly
large hearts that carry you further in harsher environments, than any
other land animal! You Reindeer are marathon athletes!
I read that your springtime migration is an enormous event
with multiple herds coming together in groups of as many as 400,000
animals!
ANI: Can you tell me, DEER about your personal life?
DEER:
We
live in herds as few as 10 to as many as 1,000. We are not referred
to as 'bucks, does and fawns'. Our family is composed of 'Bulls,
Cows and Calves.
ANI” Have you raised a family here on the arctic tundra?
DEER: Yes. We females usually birth one calf (on rare occasions,
maybe 2); a newborn baby reindeer is on its feet in minutes and can
run as fast as an Olympic sprinter within 30 minutes ~ and can keep
up with the herd at full speed. The Golden Eagle is the number one
predator of our babies and can actually carry a newborn calf away in
their talons.
ANI: What do you feed your babies, when born?
DEER; Our reindeer milk is the richest and most nutritious (of
all terrestrial mammals) with 22 % butterfat and 10 % protein. We
raise the young calf, but the whole herd is protective.
Young female reindeer stay with their mothers and sisters within
the herd their entire lives.
The young males usually leave to
join a 'bachelor herd'.
ANI: In severe weather (white-outs and blizzards) experienced in
this arctic world, how does your herd stay together with visibility
so limited?
DEER: The joints of our knees make clicking sounds as we walk ~
ensuring we are still with the herd.
We also have long hairy coats ~ each hair is hollow (with no
bone), allowing it to trap air which provides the cosy isolation to
keep us warm in this frigid environment.
In
1823, with publication “A Visit from St. Nicholas” readers were
introduced to Dasher,
Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (these names
translated from Swiss and German). Rudolf (which means 'wolf') was
not introduced until 1939 when a children's book was written for
Montgomery Ward 's daughter titled “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
which earned the ruby-nosed, muzzled mammal a firm place in Reindeer
history.
Santa's
reindeer were described in a famous poem as “Eight
Tiny Reindeer.” The
smallest sub-species of reindeer known is the Svalbard. Like
shetland ponies, these reindeer live on an island off Norway and may
have 'island
dwarfism' as
they are about 30 % smaller than any other reindeer species.
Once upon a time,
the Reindeer took a running leap
and jumped over the Northern Lights.
But, he jumped too far
and the long fur of his beautiful flowing tail
got singed
by the rainbow fires of the aurora.
To this day, the reindeer has almost no tail.
But he is too busy pulling the
Important Sleigh
to notice that it is almost completely lost.
And he certainly doesn't complain.
(Vera Nazarian)
Author: Merle Baird-kerr...August 26, 2018
(with thanks to ANI and CANGO)
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