Page 18 - Thrapston Life December 2023

• Reindeer can adjust to great changes in temperature -70˚ in the winter to +40˚ in
the summer. When temperatures drop below freezing, they have the uncanny ability to lower the temperature in their legs to near freezing, this keeps their core body heat even. For winter grazing they grow facial hair long enough to cover their mouths, protecting their muzzles from the snow. They have
two layers of fur, an ultra-fine and dense undercoat, and a long outer layer. The outer hairs are hollow and provide insulation, similar to the fur of a polar bear. Reindeer moult their winter coat in the spring looking rather patchy but soon reveal a fine summer coat.
• Reindeer antlers are made of solid bone, and have a living velvet covered skin whilst
growing up to 2cm a day. Reindeer are the only species of deer in which both males and females grow antlers, and they are also the only mammals with antlers that regenerate. The antlers show dominance and hierarchy in the herd, but they have other purposes as well. Females keep their antlers through the winter, which helps them compete fairly for food, and drop their antlers in Spring during calving season. Male reindeer shed their antlers late December/early January and a new pair start growing a few months later.
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Steph Marshall
www.woodbinereindeer.co.uk