Characteristics

Reindeer are mostly brownish with white or light coloring on the inside of their legs and on their rumps. The reindeer's thick, heavy winter fur coat is not only beautiful, but it helps them live in the very cold and stormy Arctic. It keeps them warm because it is made up of short, thick, wooly fur next to the skin, which is covered by long, hollow insulating hairs on top. This coat works a lot like a thermos-cold cannot get past the hollow, insulating hairs to the deer's body. Similarly, because of this special insulated coat, heat cannot escape easily from the deer's body: even when lying down in the snow-which is a comfortable place for a reindeer to lie down, the snow will not melt! This survival feature does not exist in any other animal.

Did you know that reindeer are the only deer where both cows (females) and bulls (males) have antlers? Antlers are essential to reindeer because they help them to compete for food during the winter.

A special feature of reindeer's body is its heat exchange system, where the deer's warm blood flows from its heart to heat colder blood further away. This system help the deer from getting to cold and helps conserve its body heat.

The reindeer's nose is covered entirely by hair, which helps keep them warm while they eat vegetation that is below the snow. When they breathe, the air is warmed as it passes through the reindeer's nose into its lungs, which means that moist air being exhaled does not freeze on their nose!

Reindeers also have wide hooves that help them move through the snow and tundra without sinking. These feet also help with swimming, walking across ice, and are great for pawing down through the snow to reach the lichen that they like to eat. Reindeer even make noise when they walk; you can hear a clicking sound that is created by a muscle that slips over a bone in their foot!

Source: courtesy of http://reindeers.info/reindeer_articles/reindeer_distinct_characteristics/

Image: courtesy of
http://mtp.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/solve2/solve2_pg.htm