Mary Allen
Many animal lovers want to know what reindeer eat. The reindeer are native to the northernmost regions of the world. Reindeer can be found in the taiga and tundra, where dense coniferous forests grow mosses, lichens, grasses, and shrubs.
Reindeer eat mosses, herbs, ferns, grasses, and the shoots and leaves of shrubs and trees, especially willow and birch. In winter, they make do with lichen (also called reindeer moss) and fungi, scraping the snow away with their hooves to get it. An average adult reindeer eats 9 to 18 pounds of vegetation a day.
What reindeer eat
What reindeer eat is determined by their habitat. Reindeer are vegetarians and therefore feed on the plants found in the taiga and tundra.
In the warm months, the reindeer will find flowers, mushrooms and mosses in addition to grasses and lichens.
In winter, there is a lot of snow in the taiga and tundra, a steppe landscape without trees. That means the reindeer have to search for food under this blanket of snow.
They do this by scraping away the snow with their paws and looking for lichen that will continue to grow even in the coldest of temperatures.
Therefore, the reindeer have also received a very specific name from the natives of North America. “Karibu” means “the one who shovels snow”.
Since lichens, shrubs and grasses are quite difficult to digest, reindeer are ruminants.
What is reindeer’s favorite food?
Reindeer, or caribou, are primarily plant eaters that love feeding on leafy greens and mushrooms, and on occasion, bird eggs and arctic char. And though they’re not available to them in their natural habitat, they also love carrots and apples as a little sweet treat.
Do reindeers actually eat carrots?
“Carrots are great for reindeer,” confirms O’Connell. “They love them and they give them energy. And, of course, carrots help them to see at night.”
What does Santa feed the reindeer?
Santa feeds them hay and reindeer feed, with the occasional graham cracker Christmas cookie as a treat. They also eat mosses, grass (when it’s not covered with snow, that is!) and lichens. They get to eat the hay any time they want, but they get their reindeer feed twice a day.
What animals eat reindeers?
Depending on where they live, reindeer have to watch out for golden eagles, gray wolves, brown bears, Arctic foxes, mountain lions, coyotes, lynx, and dholes. A healthy adult reindeer is usually safe from predators, especially in a large herd, where many individuals can watch for danger.