Reindeer in the Arctic: How Do They Survive?

Reindeer are kind of deer also known as caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in certain regions. They are found in the Arctic tundra. Many Arctic islands covered by the tundra are home to reindeer, along boreal forests. Finland is home to a small population of forest reindeer. And after a successful reintroduction to the Cairngorms, they can now also be found in Scotland. With reindeer living in some of the harshest Arctic environments in the world, let’s take a look at how they survive.

How reindeer survive in the Arctic

Reindeer survive in the Arctic thanks to a series of adaptations that allow them to survive cold temperatures and long winters where food is scarce. Temperatures in the Arctic routinely dip below zero, with snowy and frozen terrain. So, how exactly does a reindeer survive in the extreme cold of the Arctic? There are several explanations for this:

antlers

An active layer of permafrost is the only soil layer that can support plant life in the Arctic tundra, which lacks sufficient soil layers like those seen in temperate grassland. Despite this, there are between 1700 and 2000 plant species that survive in this soil, which is classified as Gelisol soil. This layer of soil melts in the summer and allows plant life to thrive. As the seasons change, so does the weather, creating a melting and freezing cycle. The further north you go, the smaller the active layer you have and the less growth you can expect. Tundra soil can be from 25 to 100 cm deep!

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The reindeer antlers are used to scrape snow and dig through the ground in search of food. Among the deer species, reindeer antlers are among the largest, and they are also unique in that they can be found on both males and females female reindeer. Each year, reindeer antlers shed their old antlers to grow new antlers for the seasons to come and the conditions they face.

Coat

Tundra temperatures often hover around -28 °C (-18.4 °F) during the coldest months of the year, with severe lows of -70 °C (-94 °F) common. Temperatures soar to their highest points in July and August, when they can reach as high as 16°C (60°F). Conditions here are harsh and survival requires specific adaptations. Reindeer have an ultra fine and dense undercoat with a shaggy top coat. The outer hairs are hollow, like the fur of a polar bearand provide insulation.

Nose

The reindeer’s nose is not only furry, but also has a unique warming process inside. To explain, the air a reindeer breathes is heated when they inhale and cooled when they exhale, causing water vapor to condense before being released into the atmosphere. This keeps them warm and even gives them a pink-red tint to their nose, just like Rudolph!

Vision

The arctic tundra often lacks sunshine. Summer days last 24 hours, but the sun remains low on the horizon. For this reason, it is known as the land of the midnight sun. In winter, the opposite happens and the whole landscape is dark. Reindeer eyes are sensitive to ultraviolet light to cope with the long dark Arctic winters and improve vision.

Tendons and hooves

Like a reindeer When walking, the tendons in the foot joint make a clicking sound. These sounds help herds to stay together in limited visibility. They also have two toes with large claws that extend outwards. These hooves, as they are called, distribute their weight and provide traction. A process called cratering is used by reindeer to dig through the snow with their hooves and retrieve hidden food.

What do Arctic reindeer eat?

There is little food for animals to eat in the Arctic. Reindeer use their powerful hooves and antlers to sift through snow and ice and eat food like:

• Grasses
• shrubs
• Lichen
• say
• Birch
• willow

Many of these foods are buried under snow and ice in the winter. As a result, during the summer months, reindeer mainly eat grasses, sedges, birches and willows on the tundra. Many reindeer migrate to the wet, northern forests in winter to eat lichen, a plant made up of fungi and algae.

The bacteria and protozoa in a reindeer’s stomach break down lichens into sugars that the animals use for their sustenance. Reindeer need a lot of food to survive a long winter. A reindeer can eat up to twenty kilos of food every day! In order for many reindeer to survive in the wild, this lichen is necessary.

Where do reindeer live in the Arctic?

Reindeer live in the Arctic tundra (an icy treeless plain) and the northern boreal forests bordering the tundra.

The Arctic reindeer is different from the reindeer that lives in the Arctic. The Arctic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus eogroenlandicus), was a subspecies of reindeer that lived in eastern Greenland, but sadly died in the early 1900s. Greenland is the world’s largest island, located between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. There are still many reindeer in the Arctic.

From 60 to 70 degrees latitude is the Arctic tundra. This biome is found in Alaska, the northern coast and islands of Canada, the coast of Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe (Scandinavia), Svalbard (an island north of Norway), and much of the northern coast of Russia and Siberia. Some people consider the Antarctic Peninsula and the isolated islands off the coast of Antarctica to be true “Arctic tundra” because they lie to the south.

caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is the name given to four subspecies of reindeer livi
ng
in North America, including:

• Rt groenlandicus; (caribou on barren ground)
• Rt peeryi; (peary caribou)
• Rt caribou; (boreal, migratory and mountainous)
• Rt subsidies; (Porcupine caribou or Grant’s caribou)

Reindeer population in the Arctic

although reindeer still exist in the Arctic, their numbers have fallen dramatically in recent decades; a drop of 56% to be exact. This is due to several factors, such as poaching, disease, food shortages and climate change. Five herds in Alaska-Canada have suffered such extreme losses that recovery is unlikely.

Caribou play a vital role in Arctic ecosystems by helping to circulate nutrients and form plant groups. Many caribou herds are in decline around the Arctic. Caribou populations reflect forest health. A healthy caribou population reflects a healthy boreal ecology. By protecting its environment, we can not only save this species and a whole host of others, but we can also do our part to combat global warming and protect tundra environments.