Caribou Name in America for the genus (rangifer) of deer from which the old world reindeer was originally domesticated. Caribou are found in Arctic and sub Arctic regions. They are the only deer in which both sexes have antlers.
The broad hoofs support the animal ( males may weigh over 300 lbs ) on boggy land or snow and have sharp edges which enabled it to traverse or Rocky or frozen surfaces and to dig down and to the grass and lichens on which it sometimes feeds. In North America there are two main types ; the woodland caribou of the bogs and coniferous forests from Newfoundland to British Columbia, with palmate antlers up to 4 ft. wide; and the barren ground caribou of the tundra of Alaska and North Canada, which has many branched, slender antlers and which may undertake mass migrations in search of food . |