Reindeer are domesticated caribou in North America and are mainly bred for meat production. Although there are seven subspecies of caribou, Alaska only has the Barren ground subspecies. Wild caribou are called reindeer in Europe;
they are the same species as normal caribou; however, there are some differences between the two of them. Reindeer or caribou have heavier bodies and shorter legs due to different breeding methods; this helps produce the most meat. Wild caribous' legs are longer with smaller bodies, which provide for a more efficient migration.
Caribou are a species of deer and both males and females have antlers; males weigh 400 pounds and females weigh 200 pounds. Caribou can live to 15 years old in their habitat and to 20 years old in captivity. They have a thick coat during the winter and it sheds in the spring, but still shields them from water. Fur that repels water is useful when herds travel through large rivers. Their hooves are concave and their edges harden when winter arrives which help them walk on icy surfaces. They soften during the summer for walking on spongy tundra. There is a tendon in a caribou's ankle, which alters the hooves when walking. This causes the hooves to gain a larger surface area while on spongy tundra.
Alaska has more than 30 distinct herds with an estimated 1,000,000 caribou scattered throughout the state. Many live in tundra areas and mountain habitats near the forest where they migrate.
Caribou often migrate to find food and herds travel long distances quite often to find new food sources. Smaller herds do the opposite and only travel short distances or stay in the same area. During the summer, caribou eat many kinds of herbaceous plants but when winter arrives, they travel to winter grounds. These grounds contain lichen and scrub, which are food for caribou in winter.
The most highly migratory land animals are caribou; herds can have up to 10,000 animals, which travel more than 50 miles each day during migration. Caribou travel every year during summer and winter and they generally search for calving grounds in spring. Different herds live separately in the summer on calving grounds and they join up to travel to the winter grounds. When they reach winter grounds, they scatter and reconnect when they go back to the calving ground.
Female's, which are pregnant, give birth a few days after each another while on the calving grounds. This increases the number of calves in a herd; once born, they must quickly move to avoid wolves, golden eagles and bears. They can stand on their feet an hour after they are born and can outrun a human after a day. Because many calves are born from different herds, each one has a better chance of surviving predator attacks. A predator can only take a few calves at a time while hunting. Sometimes a confusion effect occurs; this happens when a predator has trouble focusing on one animal within a herd.
During the rut or breeding season, males compete to determine breeding rights. They defend their space from other males aggressively and begin breeding. They use a lot of energy and do not eat much during this time, so they generally are in poor condition when the breeding season ends. Older males are at risk if they are in this condition when predators are around.
The caribou population in Alaska is managed and stable; the state controls hunting and subsistence use. Over hunting, diseases and predators cause the caribou population to decrease.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Alaska.
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