Quick answer
Key facts about reindeer — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Epic migration
Some barren-ground caribou herds travel over 5,000 km annually between calving grounds and winter range — the longest terrestrial migration on Earth. Calving synchrony on Arctic tundra overwhelms predators, but warming disrupts timing and insect harassment increases.
Antlers on females
Reindeer are the only deer where females commonly grow antlers. Cows retain theirs through winter, while bulls shed after the rut. Antlers are used for digging through snow for lichens — critical winter food called reindeer moss.
Indigenous herding
Sámi, Nenets, and other Arctic peoples have herded domestic reindeer for centuries, following migrations and relying on meat, hides, and transport. Wild caribou remain vital subsistence resources for Alaska Native communities.
Climate vulnerability
Listed Vulnerable, reindeer and caribou face rain-on-snow events that ice over food, increased parasitic flies in warmer summers, and industrial disturbance of migration routes from mining and roads in the Arctic.