The reindeer is the Arctic hoofed mammal in which both males and females grow antlers.
Reindeer are unusual among deer because females commonly develop antlers as well as males. Males generally grow larger antlers and shed them after the autumn rut. Females often keep theirs through winter, which may help them defend access to feeding craters beneath snow.
The species is called reindeer in Europe and caribou in North America. These names refer to the same animal, Rangifer tarandus, although different populations have different body sizes, migrations, and conservation conditions.
Reindeer are adapted to northern environments with broad, spreading hooves that provide traction on snow and soft tundra. Their specialized noses warm incoming air and help conserve moisture. They eat lichens, grasses, leaves, and other tundra plants. Herds can make some of the longest terrestrial migrations known, though distances vary greatly by population.