Osborn Caribou - September, Level Mountain, British Columbia, Canada Caribou, also known as reindeer, flourish in some of the world’s harshest places. Their principal home is tundra—land that is too cold for trees to grow. Massive herds of caribou...

Osborn Caribou - September, Level Mountain, British Columbia, Canada

Caribou, also known as reindeer, flourish in some of the world’s harshest places. Their principal home is tundra—land that is too cold for trees to grow. Massive herds of caribou migrate across the vast tundra plains of the Arctic. Smaller herds dwell in alpine tundra, which is found on top of high mountains.

In September, the mating season for caribou, called the rut, has begun. Herd members  are gathering in the open so they can find and compete for mates. At any other time of year, these two females and the juvenile (left) would probably avoid males (right). 

Two caribou here have not yet shed their antlers’ velvet. This fuzzy, blood-rich sheath of skin nourishes growth of the bone beneath. Caribou drop their antlers after the rut, but if these two females become pregnant, they will probably keep their antlers all winter. Antlered mothers can better defend themselves when competing for winter food—an advantage for their developing young. 

Caribou are the only species of deer in which both sexes have antlers. This characteristic may have evolved because caribou live in open areas with few places to hide. Antlers offer good defense against predators and aggressive herd-mates.

See this diorama in the Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals. 

Notes

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