On top of that, there’s also a subtle change in the growth. I thought like other deer, reindeer males had the antlers. Scientists have observed that male reindeer shed their antlers in early December after mating season, while female reindeer keep their antlers all year. Also, it’s important to note that when a female reindeer does have antlers, the size is quite different. Not all female caribou (reindeer) have antlers, but for Santa’s crew to have antlers in December, they would be females.” There’s more to it than just the antlers. Why do Female Reindeer Have Antlers? So, it would be female. So it must be female as in reindeer both sexes grow antlers. Apparently, if a male reindeer is castrated, it stops the process of casting the antlers, thus he becomes more like a female. “Rudolph could be a castrated male, or a female. A male’s antlers can measure up to 51 inches (130 centimeters) long, and a female’s antlers can reach 20 inches (50 centimeters). Antlers are the reindeer’s most memorable characteristic. : IV: 16: IV In Sápmi, reindeer are used to pull a pulk, a Nordic sled. Female Svalbard deer begin growing their antlers in summer and keep them all year. In comparison to body size, reindeer have the largest and heaviest antlers of all living deer species. What facts have you learned recently that have completely changed what you thought to be true? In snow the antlers are used to scrape snow away from the ground, and as such they are an important feature for survival. This is thought to be because females can use the antlers to find food. Some of Santa’s reindeer Facts. Alaska does have some reindeer, however, imported from Siberia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. - Page 2 This means that if the reindeer spotted pulling Santa’s sleigh on December 24 have antlers, they must be females, as males would have already shed their antlers. But no, they drop them for the winter to grow bigger ones for spring so all of Santa's reindeers are female! Santa will not appear alone on Christmas Eve. But all male Reindeer lose their antlers in the late fall, well-before Christmas. Female reindeer are slaying it! The Reindeer is the only species of deer in which the females carry antlers as well as the males. That means Santa’s sled either has to be pulled by young reindeer, constantly replaced as … The Sami people (Sápmi) have also depended on reindeer herding and fishing for centuries. Caribou are native to North America, whereas reindeer are native to northern Europe and Asia. To know more watch this video. However, males shed it quite early in the winter start whereas females keep it until spring. Female antlers are considerably linear when compared with those of a male reindeer. Mine is the reindeer thing. 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