Santa's Eight Tiny Reindeer Probably Females

And Rudolph too!

Today’s header gif has some sweet baby reindeer calves from Rovaniemi, Finland. Rovaniemi calls itself “The Official Hometown of Santa Claus” which is a good way to get children from all over the world interested in visiting, but as close to the Arctic Circle as it is and being surrounded by such unspoiled outdoor beauty, I’m sure a lot of tourists go there for the nature appreciation too. That appreciation frequently involves visiting a local reindeer farm.

Rovaniemi was notably the site of hostilities during World War II during the Lapland War campaign, one that almost completely destroyed the city. This was an unusual chapter of WWII: Nazi Germany and Finland were allied at the start of the war to fight against the Soviet Union, but they found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict following the signing of the Moscow Armistice of 1944. In accordance with the treaty, the Soviet Union required that Finland expel the Germans stationed within the country, but the Germans would not go without a fight. The Finnish/German conflict only lasted a few months and resulted in relatively light casualties, only about four thousand in total on both sides, but the German scorched-land policy devastated much of the Finnish Lapland. Fortunately Santa was uninjured and able to rebuild his tourist-attraction/village in the city.

One of the more popular winter attractions for Rovaniemi visitors is a sleigh ride with a reindeer team. Spring, though, is mating season. Each season, reindeer grow new antlers with a covering of a fuzzy fur known as velvet. During mating time, males will have rubbed the velvet off of their antlers in preparation for fighting, the antlers being used to battle other males for the right to mate. Dominant males will choose between five and fifteen females for their harem. The females that become pregnant leave the herd for a traditional calving ground. They will typically birth a single calf, although twins or even multiples are not unheard-of. Calves are almost immediately mobile after birth and are weaned in about six months. Young reindeer, both male and female, develop their antlers starting their second year, starting as little hairy buds that grow into spikes known as dag antlers. As the animal matures, antlers will grow forked spikes, with six-year-olds having the most developed set of headgear.

Compared to other deer species, reindeer (or caribou, as they are known in North America) have the largest and heaviest antlers, with the males’ measuring up to 51 inches. Females also grow antlers, up to 20 inches, which makes them unique in the deer world. Females use their racks to help clear snow and defend the patches of food that they uncover for themselves and their babies. Unlike horns, antlers fall off and grow back every year. Males start their antler growth cycle in February, while females do not begin theirs until May. While both males and females have their seasonal antlers throughout the summer, males shed theirs in November, while females will have theirs until the spring, since the winter is when they need them for defending their food patches. And so it follows, the only reindeer that will have antlers at Christmas will be females. Therefore, in all of those December holiday cards and movies, Dancer, Prancer and the rest, if they are depicted with antlers, they are ladies.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Reindeer (Caribou) - Rangifer tarandus

Discover Wildlife: “Why do female reindeer grow antlers?” by Craig Roberts, 12/14/22

Rovaniemi – The Official Hometown of Santa Claus