What exactly is a Reindeer?

There are several things about Santa’s reindeer that few people realize despite that so much information is available about them on the World Wide Web.

Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen are not males as you may have been led to believe. That’s right! And they don’t eat carrots. So please stop putting those veggies out for them. Their eyes change color depending on the season. They can see ultraviolet light. Most candy, especially mint-based ones, are not good for them. Also, some of them really do have red noses, which appear to glow.

No, don’t doubt me. This isn’t fake news. All of it is true. The proof is in the antlers. Male and female reindeer grow antlers. But the males shed their racks sometime in November, after the mating season. The females keep theirs until they birth their young in May. So, who have you seen with antlers at Christmastime, as depicted in pictures of the crew? The females! They are guiding and pulling the sleigh. And while they are pregnant, I might add.

Oh, and get this, unlike the deer we see on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, reindeer are not called bucks, does, and fawns. Like cattle, they are bulls, cows, and calves.

Scientists determined that the noses of reindeer have a red tinge because of the “presence of a highly dense and rich nasal microcirculation” or a lot of blood vessels packed into a tight space, which helps regulate their body temperatures in the frigid north countries.

Unlike the vapor that can be seen when we breath in frigid temperatures, a reindeer’s nose cavity cools air coming from the lungs by 70 degrees Fahrenheit before expelling it into the air. And then, when a reindeer breathes in, the nose warms the air before it enters the lungs. I’d say, that’s cool but it’s really hot.

Carrots aren’t part of their natural diet. Reindeer struggle to digest carrots because they don’t have upper jaw incisor (insizer). So, what treat can we leave out for them while Santa is eating cookies? They reportedly love to feast on hay, beet pulp, pelleted deer feed, and alfalfa. They also need access to salt licks. So, get prepared.

In summer, when daylight is abundant, the eyes of a reindeer are gold. In winter, they turn blue, which increases the scatter of reflected light and helps them see better.

Their coats have two layers. Closest to their skin is a fine, soft wool. The second layer is long hollow hairs that trap air and hold in body heat to keep them warm against wind and cold, and give them “buoyancy.” That made me think of a buoy bouncing in the bay.

My dictionary defined it as the ability or tendency to float in water or air or some other fluid and to keep themselves afloat. The second meaning is an optimistic and cheerful disposition. I think that about covers it.

Some reindeer’s knees make a clicking sound when they walk, which allows them to better hear each other in blizzard conditions. You may have heard that on your roof.

The 1902 story, “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus,” lists 10 reindeer. They are Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Reckless, Speckless, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, and Steady.

In 1939, Rudolph was added to the more familiar names I listed earlier. That author, also considered calling the leader Reginald, Reggie, Roderick, Rodney, Roland, Rollo, and Romeo. Donner was depicted as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s father in the 1964 movie. But now we know Donner was probably really Rudolph’s mother or perhaps an aunt. And the name Rudolph, I guess, could be compared to Johnny Cash’s song, “A Boy Named Sue.”

Reindeer are 28 to 53 inches tall at shoulder height. The cows weigh between 120 and about 300 pounds. The bulls weigh 140 to 550 pounds, depending on the time of the year.

Compared to body size, reindeer have the largest and heaviest antlers of deer species. A male’s antlers can measure up to 51 inches long. A female’s antlers can reach 20 inches. Reindeer use their antlers as weapons against predators. Males also use their antlers to woo the females, and females use theirs to clear away the snow to find food.

At birth, a calf weighs five to 20 pounds and is able to stand within an hour of being delivered. They are not spotted like in other deer species. A reindeer calf drinks its mother’s rich milk and begins adding solid food to its diet in a week. By two weeks, it’s weigh has already doubled.  Wow!