European forest reindeer, Eurasian forest reindeer
The Finnish forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) is a rare subspecies of the reindeer native to Finland and northwestern Russia. It is also known as Eurasian or European forest reindeer.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withThe Finnish forest reindeer is one of the largest subspecies of reindeer. The adult male is typically larger than the adult female. Their longer legs, wide hooves, and narrower V-shaped antlers facilitate movement through deep snow and wooded habitats.
These reindeer are found primarily in Russian Karelia and the provinces of North Karelia, Savonia, and Kainuu in Finland, though some range into central south Finland. They prefer dense boreal forest habitats, where they are rarely seen by humans. The Finnish herd migrates seasonally back and forth across the long Russo-Finnish border.
In general, reindeer are diurnal animals and live in herds. They can swim easily and quickly, normally at about 6.5 km/h (4.0 mph) but, if necessary, at 10 km/h (6.2 mph), and migrating herds will not hesitate to swim across a large lake or broad river. Reindeer travel distances that are greater than those traveled by any other terrestrial mammal. Most reindeer spend the winter in forested areas, as snow conditions here are more favorable. They can find food under the snow, presumably by being able to smell it. They use their front hooves to dig craters to reach the food. Dominant males will frequently take over the craters dug by subordinate individuals.
Reindeer are herbivores (folivores, graminivores) and mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer lichen. They also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses.
Reindeer are polygynous and have a harem-guarding mating system. During the breeding season, males take part in fights that leave them exhausted and injured. Dominant males control access to groups numbering 5 to 15 females. The males stop eating at this time and lose a lot of their body reserves. Gestation lasts 210-240 days and a single calf is produced. Within an hour of birth, calves can walk after their mother, and at one day old they can run fast. The young begin to graze, occasionally suckling from their mother up until the winter, then reaching full independence. Reindeer become reproductively mature when they are 1-3 years old.
Finnish forest deer suffer from the loss of their natural habitat and disturbances due to winter sporting activities.
Presently, the Finnish forest reindeer is not included in the IUCN Red List. It remains rare but according to the IUCN Red List, its population trend is growing rather than declining.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...