Caribou

Caribou Latest News

According to a study by researchers Lichen continues to decline across the Arctic and caribou populations could struggle to survive the winter.

About Caribou

• It is a species of cervidae or deer family. 
• Scientific Name: Rangifer tarandus
• Habitat: It survives in Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions.
• Distribution: It is found in Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada. 
• Features
  • Physical adoption: They have nasal turbinate bones which serve to increase the surface area in their nostrils. Cold air can thus be warmed up by their body heat prior to entering their lungs.
  • Both male and female caribou grow antlers, which they shed and regrow every year.
  • Diet: Caribou (called reindeer in Eurasia) are one of the few animals that can eat and digest lichen
  • Caribou dig through snow in a behavior known as ‘cratering’
  • Migration: They travel distances that are greater than those traveled by any other terrestrial mammal.
  • They have the ability to see ultraviolet light – helps them to recognize predators in time and find food.

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Conservation Status of Caribou

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• Threats: Habitat destruction and Climate change

Source: DTE