With our upcoming visit by Santa’s Reindeer, we thought we would treat you to some Reindeer facts and add to the excitement about meeting this amazing animal in person! The Reindeer will be visiting Belle Mead Animal Hospital on Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Reindeer are also known as Caribou. In Europe they are called Reindeer most of the time. However, in America, we only call them Reindeer when they are domesticated. Otherwise, in the wild we call them Caribou. (Their scientific name, by the way, is Rangifer Tarasndus).
Reindeer are herbivores meaning they eat plants.
A Reindeer can live up to 15 years in the wild and can weigh from 240 to 700 pounds.
A Reindeer’s antlers grow to be 3 feet tall. They shed their antlers in the winter, and no two Reindeer antlers look exactly the same!
Reindeer use their hooves to dig for food in the snow. The outer edges of their hooves are sharp and help them walk on ice and rocks.
A Reindeer can run 50 miles per hour!
That’s our lesson about Reindeer for the moment. Come visit us on December 10th and learn more! Yukon Cornelius will be on hand to introduce you to the live Reindeer, give you more information about them, and answer questions. Bring friends and family, and take some photos while you are there!
We look forward to seeing you on December 10th! Don’t forget your camera!