The reindeer has been given many different names by different cultures. The name 'rein' has its origin in the Old Norse word for a horned animal, hreinn. The various words for reindeer used by the Sami peoples of Northern Europe (formerly referred to as the Lapps), poatsoj, boazu, boatsoj, båtsoj and bovtse, all seem to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *peku, which denotes cattle. The name of its relative the caribou came through French from the Mi'kmaq word qalipu, which means "snow shoveler,” a reference to its habit of pawing the snow to find food.
ANTLERS: Both male and female reindeer grow antlers each year. When they are growing, the antlers are soft and rubbery, with a furry skin, hence reindeer are said to be "in velvet" at this time. When the antlers finish growing, in August, they harden and the reindeer rub off the "velvet". Male reindeer drop their antlers after the autumn rut, while the female reindeer keep their antlers until the time of calving, which is in May.
HOOVES: Reindeer hooves adapt to the season: in the summer, when the tundra is soft and wet, the footpads become sponge-like and provide extra traction. In the winter, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the rim of the hoof, which gives better purchase in the ice and snow and allows them to dig down through the snow to their favorite food, a lichen known as reindeer moss.
EYES: According to a study at the University of Tromsø, Arctic reindeer eyes change in colour through the seasons from gold through to blue to help them better detect predators, by sharpening up their ultraviolet perception in the dark months.
STOMACHS: Reindeer are ruminants, with a four-chambered stomach. They mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss. They have a unique adaptation among mammals which enables them to break down lichen to glucose.
NOSES: Reindeer, like moose, have specialized noses featuring special nasal bones that hugely increase the surface area within the nostrils, allowing incoming cold air to be warmed by the animal's body heat before it enters the lungs.
KNEES: Reindeer knees produce a clicking sound as they walk that can be audible from ten metres away. Apparently, loud knee-clicking, which reflects large body mass, is one indication of high status among reindeer.
