Interesting things about reindeer

If you've ever wondered just how fast the reindeer of this Santa's or animal reindeer car runs, the facts below will help you answer those questions.

Reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ) is a large deer living in the North Pole, North America, some areas in northern Europe and Asia. Both males and females of this species have horns. The size of the weight of reindeer depends on gender and age. Adult males reach a height of about 1 m and weigh an average of 170 kg. The female has the same height but the weight is only about 90 kg.

The interesting things about reindeer below are posted on Livescience page.

Only the reindeer caribou can pull Santa's car. Photo: Daily Mail.

Run very fast

Scientists claim they can run at speeds of 80 km / h. When they detect predators, reindeer will launch with their heads high and parallel to the ground, and their tails will stand up. When fired, the reindeer gallop is very fast.

Mammals move farthest on land

Reindeer can move up to nearly 5,000 km per year. According to the International Nature Conservation Fund, reindeer is the farthest migratory species among terrestrial mammals. Meanwhile humpback whales are mammals that move the farthest in the water. They often travel up to 8,000 km in the ocean to return to their breeding grounds.

Very cold resistant

Reindeer lives in Alaska state (USA), Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. Their food is tundra plants. The reindeer body is covered by hairs that hold the air. The air in the hair helps their bodies to isolate their surroundings. In addition, the reindeer's circulatory system also has the ability to help cold blood in the limbs absorb heat from the hot blood in their bodies.

Move gently

Santa never has to worry about the reindeer flock waking up the children when he gives out gifts. Of course, this is not true for reindeer bells in the neck. The reindeer only communicates with the same species during the first few months after the birth (in the summer), while the males only make a sound during mating (fall). Scientists found males have a large air bag in their necks. Airbags allow them to produce a hoarse sound to attract the attention of the female during the mating season. The cry also helps reindeer male stop the competition. For children, airbags allow them to communicate with children. The sound of each female reindeer has its own intensity and frequency. Their children recognize their mother based on the cry.

Santa only uses the reindeer

Horns of male reindeer fall at the end of the breeding season (early December). In contrast, horns on the reindeer head still exist throughout the winter. That may be the reason why Santa only chooses female reindeer to pull carts. There is also one more reason: Male reindeer lose up to 95% of the stored fat in the body so they only have 5% fat when it comes to Christmas. Meanwhile, female reindeer still has up to 50% fat in winter. The fat layer plays an important role in keeping the reindeer's body warm. Therefore, the cold tolerance of female reindeer is higher than that of males during Christmas. Tests showed that female reindeer can withstand temperatures - 43 degrees C.