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The Reindeer is a deer of northern Europe and Asia, closely related to the North America caribou. Reindeer and caribou differ from other members of the deer family in having large, deeply cleft hoofs, a hairy muzzle, and somewhat broader antlers, which are grown by both male and female. Reindeer stand about 3 1/2 feet high and weigh about 300 pounds. They are smaller and have shorter legs than the caribou. Reindeer can draw sleds over the snow at rates of 12 - 15 miles per hour and can travel with a load of 250 to 300 pounds for hours at a time. In order to provide a reliable source of food for the Eskimo of western Alaska, the United States office of Education imported 1,280 reindeer from Siberia between 1892 and 1902. More than a million reindeer descended from these animals and now range from Point Barrow to Kodiak Island. Reindeer mothers carry their unborn babies for 7 1/2 months and they can be weaned as early as 2 months. |
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