You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, and—of course, Rudolph the iconic, red-nosed reindeer. But did you know that—if accurately depicted—all of Santa’s reindeer would be pregnant females? That is just one of the fascinating facts I learned about reindeer on a visit to Running Reindeer Ranch in Fairbanks, Alaska, earlier this year.
Fact #1: Both male and female reindeer grow antlers every year, but only pregnant females keep their antlers through the winter (it helps them forage for food in the snow). All other reindeer shed their antlers at the end of fall. Hence, Santa’s reindeer must be carrying more than just presents!
Fact #2: Because they only grow during spring through fall—which is a short period of time in Alaska, with spring and fall each lasting about two weeks—reindeer antlers grow about one to two inches per day. According to our reindeer wranglers, after they leave work on Friday and come back on Monday, some of the reindeer have added a whopping four inches to their antlers!
Fact #3: Female reindeer normally grow bigger antlers than males do, which is why the leader of the herd is usually a female, as was the case at Running Reindeer Ranch.
Fact #4: Reindeer antlers are made of bone, meaning these animals can inflict some serious damage when fighting or defending themselves.
Fact #5: While growing, reindeer antlers have a velvety outer layer that looks very inviting to touch. But there are nerve endings and blood in the growing antlers, so touching them makes the reindeer uncomfortable. It’s a big no-no on the ranch! Once the antlers are fully grown, this velvet layer dries up and itches, so the reindeer rub their antlers against trees to get it off.
Fact #6: Reindeer are the only species of deer that have been domesticated. People have been domesticating them for about 7,000 years now—longer than they’ve been domesticating horses.
Fact #7: Reindeer can see ultraviolet light, which helps them survive the harsh arctic winters. Their main winter food source is lichens, plant-like organisms that absorb ultraviolet light and appear black in the reflective snow. The ability to see ultraviolet light allows the reindeer to find the lichens and also helps them to spot predators.
Running Reindeer Ranch (pictured here) is owned and operated by Alaskan natives Jane Atkinson and Doug Torelle. They have a herd of 13 reindeer, with more on the way come spring. They offer visitors the opportunity to walk among their herd through a birch forest and learn all about these amazing creatures that—bonus fact—thrive at a temperature of 40 below zero!
Thinking about ditching the Florida heat to start a reindeer farm in Alaska? Think again! In Alaska, only those native to the state are allowed to own raindeer.
For more information, visit https://runningreindeer.com.