Santa May Run Out of Reindeer: There are 60% Fewer of Them Today Primarily Due to Climate Change

GREEN IS GOOD
by Margaret Smith

Ah, Santa's reindeer. Each Christmas Eve little boys and girls everywhere stay up late in hopes of hearing the clomp clomp clomp of their hoofs landing on the roof so Santa can squeeze down the chimney to drop off presents. But what's the real deal with Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen? Here are some truths about Santa's reindeer.

1.    A dying breed
Looks like Santa's reindeer may be in trouble.

At least that's what biologist Mark Boyce, a professor from the University of Alberta in Canada, found out this past June when he completed the first global review on the species status with Ph.D student Liv Vors. Together, the pair found that in the past three decades reindeer and caribou have plunged nearly 60 percent. Much of this is due to climate change and habitat disturbance caused by humans, specifically because:

-Earlier spring green-ups occur before migrating herds arrive north, and  this deprives mothers and calves of quality feeding.
-Warmer summers cause increased insect activity, harassing animals and affecting their feeding
-The impact of more freezing rain in place of snow has negatively impacted the lichens that they feed on during colder months.

"Their future is dubious if climate change and habitat disturbance continue at their pace," Vors told LiveScience in an interview in June. "We do not know how quickly they can adapt to this changing world."

2.   Reindeer vs. Caribou
Reindeer and caribou are actually two different names for the same species (Rangifur Tarandus). Caribou are known as wild deer, though, while reindeer usually stand for the domesticated version that are herded and bred by humans. According to the Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association, weight and size usually depend on age and gender, but reindeer normally stand about 8 to 10 inches shorter than caribou and can differ in color.

3.    A royal species
The species are historically known as one of the first domesticated animals, with references to herding in a 9th century letter from Norway's King Ottar to Alfred the Great which mentioned his herd of over 600 reindeer.

4.    They really can handle the cold
Caribou thrive in cold weather, and many herds can be found in the arctic tundra regions of North America, Asia, Northern Europe, Russia, Alaska and Greenland. Their bodies are perfectly built for these environments, with two circulation systems that keep the cooler blood in their legs from drawing heat from the warm blood at the core of their body. Their skin is also covered in hair rooted in a thick layer of fat that is able to conserve heat during freezing temperatures.

5.    They may not fly but....
When they're migrating in herds, caribou can run almost 50 miles an hour, and they usually travel up to 3,000 miles a year, one of the most grueling animal migrations of any other terrestrial animal. They're also very good swimmers. The hair on their skin traps air and gives them good buoyancy in water, making it easy to travel across wide rivers and even in frozen water. With physical credentials like that no wonder they're known for pulling Santa's sleigh.

6.   A sign of power
During mating season, the males fight each other using their antlers for access to females by locking their antlers together and trying to push each other away. The most dominant males can collect up to 15 to 20 females to mate with.

7.    Is Santa's team an all-girl group?
Male reindeer shed their antlers at the end of mating season in early December. Female reindeer, however, usually maintain theirs throughout the winter, so if all the stories are true, then it looks like Santa's being pulled around through the night by a bunch of ladies. The 45 percent more body fat they carry compared to their male counterparts may have something to do with that, though, and it keeps them nice and toasty during freezing cold temperatures. Talk about girl power!

GREEN IS GOOD