Reindeerトナカイ
Rangifer tarandusVU— Vulnerable
The reindeer, known as caribou in North America, is a circumpolar deer of Arctic and subarctic tundra, boreal forest, and mountain habitats across Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only deer species in which females commonly grow antlers, using them alongside males to dig through snow for lichen. Once abundant, many wild herds have declined sharply—such as Quebec's George River herd, which fell from roughly 800,000–900,000 animals in the 1990s to fewer than 9,000 by 2018—and the IUCN now classifies the species as Vulnerable.
Reindeer (reference photo)
Species Data
- Classification
- Artiodactyla / Cervidae Source
- Size
- Body length 120–230 cm, shoulder height 90–150 cm
- Weight
- 60–300 kg (varies greatly by subspecies)
- Lifespan
- Captive: average about 10 years for males and about 15 years for females
- Diet
- Herbivore Strongly herbivorous omnivore; in summer eats grasses and leaves as well as small animals such as lemmings and insects, and in winter digs through snow with its antlers and hooves to reach lichens beneath
- Distribution
- Reindeer have a circumpolar distribution across Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America, including Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Source
- Sources
- ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Did You Know?
- Reindeer are unique among deer species in that females, as well as males, commonly grow antlers—an adaptation used for digging through snow to reach lichen. Source
- Their eye color shifts with the seasons, changing from golden in summer to deep blue in winter, an adaptation linked to enhanced UV-light detection in the dark Arctic winter. Source
- The reindeer is the only deer species that has been successfully semi-domesticated on a large scale, long supporting the livelihoods of Arctic Indigenous peoples such as the Sámi. Source
Where to See This Species
Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 4
Hiroshima City Asa Zoological ParkHiroshimaFrom JR Hiroshima Station, take the Sanyo Main Line or Kabe Line to Shin-Hakushima Station, transfer to the Astram Line to Kamiyasu Station, then take a bus to "Asa Dobutsu Koen" (about 45 minutes in total).
Akitashioomoriyama DoubutsuenAkitaFrom bus stop 7 at the west exit of the JR Akita Station bus terminal, take the Akita Chuo Kotsu "Araya Line" bus for about 30 minutes.
Suzaka ZooNaganoFrom the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, take Route 403, turn right at the Kotaka-machi intersection, turn left at the Kami-Hatcho intersection, cross Garyu Bridge, and turn left for the south entrance.
Fuji Safari ParkShizuokaOpened in 1980
Former facilities
North Safari SapporoHokkaidoOpened in 2005
Closed: 2025-09-30 Official Site
Source links to official sites, official YouTube channels, and news aggregators such as Zoo Ring. Visit the publisher for the full item.
Conservation Story
Conservation Status
Vulnerable (VU)
Sources
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FAQ
- Do female reindeer have antlers?
- Yes. Reindeer are unique among deer species in that females commonly grow antlers too, which they use along with males to dig through snow for lichen. Source
- Are reindeer endangered?
- The IUCN lists reindeer as Vulnerable. While some Siberian tundra herds have stabilized or grown since 2000, other populations have collapsed dramatically—Quebec's George River herd fell from about 800,000–900,000 in the 1990s to under 9,000 by 2018. Source
- Why do reindeer eyes change color in winter?
- Their eyes shift from golden in summer to deep blue in winter, a change thought to improve their ability to detect ultraviolet light during the long, dark Arctic winter. Source
- How many operating facilities are registered here?
- Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 4 Source
Books & gear
Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org