Reindeer vs Elk: How These Two Big Deer Really Compare
Reindeer and elk are two entirely different deer species. The elk (Cervus canadensis) is much larger — a bull elk can weigh roughly twice as
Reindeer and elk are two entirely different deer species. The elk (Cervus canadensis) is much larger — a bull elk can weigh roughly twice as
Caribou are not endangered as a species, but their overall picture is genuinely worrying. The IUCN lists Rangifer tarandus — the single species that includes
An adult caribou typically stands about 3 to 5 feet (roughly 0.9 to 1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder and measures 5 to 7 feet
Caribou live across the northern regions of North America — Alaska, much of Canada, and parts of Greenland — in Arctic tundra, boreal forest (taiga),
A baby caribou is called a calf — the same term used for the young of other large deer like moose and elk, and for
Caribou can run at speeds of up to about 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) in short bursts, making them one of the fastest deer
Yes — female reindeer grow antlers, and they are the only deer species in which females routinely do. Even more interesting: males typically shed their
Caribou eat a mix of lichens, sedges, grasses, willow and birch leaves, mushrooms, and other tundra plants. In winter, their diet shifts heavily toward lichens