A herd of reindeer running across a snowy landscape in Iceland.

Herd of reindeer in southern Iceland.

Creator: Giles Laurent

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Species record

Reindeer

Rangifer tarandus

Explore the Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Reindeer, called caribou in North America, is a northern deer of Arctic tundra, boreal forest, and mountain habitats across Europe, Asia, and North America. Broad hooves help it travel over snow, soft ground, and wetlands. Some populations are wild and migratory, while others are domesticated or managed by northern communities; their status varies among herds.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Chordates
  3. Subphylum: Vertebrates
  4. Class: Mammals
  5. Order: Even-toed ungulates
  6. Family: Cervidae
  7. Genus: Rangifer
  8. Species: Rangifer tarandus

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
tundra, taiga, managed ranges
Selected regions
Europe, Asia, North America
Selected countries
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia

Conservation status

The Ark records: Vulnerable.

Did you know?

  • Both male and female reindeer can grow antlers.
  • Reindeer have large, concave hooves that support them on snow and soft tundra.

More images

A reindeer in Denali National Park, Alaska, United States.

Reindeer in Denali National Park, Alaska.

Creator: Diego Delso

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Sources and attribution