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These hardy animals have some of the longest migration patterns in the animal kingdom. Reindeer typically migrate to forage for food. Reindeer feed on grass, moss, lichen, and other vegetation.
The bacteria and protozoans in the stomach of a reindeer break down lichen compounds into sugars that the animals use for sustenance. Reindeer need a lot of food to survive a long winter.
An ectotherm (from the Greek ἐκτός (ektós) "outside" and θερμός (thermós) "heat"), more commonly referred to as a "cold-blooded animal", [1] is an animal in which internal physiological sources of heat, such as blood, are of relatively small or of quite negligible importance in controlling body temperature. [2]
Reindeer also travel, feed, and rest together in the wild, sometimes forming super-herds of up to 500,000 animals. Tundra reindeer migrate between forest and tundra in these massive groups in an ...
[2] [41] The word reindeer is an anglicized version of the Old Norse words hreinn ("reindeer") and dýr ("animal") and has nothing to do with reins. [42] The word caribou comes through French, from the Mi'kmaq qalipu, meaning "snow shoveler", and refers to its habit of pawing through the snow for food. [43]
The boreal woodland caribou is well-adapted to cold environments, with a compact body covered with a thick and long coat (thicker in winter than in summer). [12] They have a large blunt muzzle, short wide ears and a small tail. Adults have a brown to dark-brown coat in summer, [12] becoming greyer in winter. [12]
Reindeer are meandering animals. In fact, some reindeer migrate the farthest of any terrestrial animal. They trek north over 600 miles when summer begins and then move south again for winter.
Cold-blooded animals are often limited by external temperatures, which can affect their ability to hunt, escape predators, and carry out other essential activities. Homeothermy could have provided a selective advantage by allowing animals to be active for longer periods of time, increasing their chances of survival.