Animalscaretips
In summer (May-September), caribou eat the leaves of willows, sedges, flowering tundra plants, and mushrooms. They switch to lichens (reindeer moss), dried sedges (grasslike plants), and small shrubs (like blueberry) in September.
- How many babies do caribou have?
- What does the caribou eat?
- How long does a caribou live?
- How does a caribou get food?
- How do caribou stay warm?
- How much do caribou eat a day?
- How can you tell a male caribou from a female?
- How do caribou defend themselves?
- How do caribou communicate?
- What does caribou taste like?
- How fast can a baby caribou run?
How many babies do caribou have?
The females of the species often move to a common calving ground, abandoning the herds. Following gestation, generally, one offspring per female Caribou is born; there are rare reports of twins being born to a Caribou.
What does the caribou eat?
Caribou are herbivorous. During fall and winter, they consume lichens (reindeer moss), dried sedges and small shrubs. During summer, caribou eat the leaves of willows, sedges, flowering tundra plants, and mushrooms.
How long does a caribou live?
Most male caribou live about seven to eight years. Females often live longer, to 10-15 years. These are very general numbers. Every animal faces its own set of situations that lead to a shorter or longer life.
How does a caribou get food?
When snow begins to fall, caribou move south and travel to more sheltered climes where they can feed on moss or lichens. These members of the deer family dig for food using their large hooves. The underside of each hoof is hollowed out like a big scoop and allows the caribou to dig through snow in search of food.
How do caribou stay warm?
In order to keep warm during the winter, caribou have two layers of insulating fur. This fur, while warm is completely hollow. Their buoyant hairs, wide hooves, and strong legs help them to swim as fast as 6 miles per hour.
How much do caribou eat a day?
They'll spend the summer months feeding on the abundant grasses and plants of the tundra. An adult caribou can eat 12 pounds of food each day.
How can you tell a male caribou from a female?
An easy way to tell the difference between females and males is by the size of the antlers; male caribou have larger antlers. Bulls also have larger white spots around their necks—especially leading up to mating season when the male neck becomes bigger to prepare for ruts (see mating section).
How do caribou defend themselves?
Caribou protect themselves from predators, such as wolves, coyotes and bears, by spreading out over large areas of land.
How do caribou communicate?
Caribou communicate among themselves through vocal, visual, chemical, and tactile cues. They have a keen sense of smell, which allows them to find food buried deep under snow.
What does caribou taste like?
Caribou is closely related to the reindeer. Its meat is finely grained and resembles veal or antelope in flavor and texture.
How fast can a baby caribou run?
Newborns are able to stand and walk almost immediately. They can often run within 90 minutes of their birth, and within a few hours they can follow their mothers across the tundra, galloping along at up to 75 km / 45 miles per hour! (By comparison, it usually takes humans about 1 to 1½ years just to start walking!)
