Here Comes Santa's Reindeer

Here Comes Santa's Reindeer

   Okay, forget the worldwide spending spree, the urge to "buy" something for someone in the spirit of Christmas, for of course, that isn't (or shouldn't be) the spirit of Christmas at all.  What does seem to be happening more and more at this time of year is a renewal of giving to others but giving in other, non-commercial ways...bringing food to food banks, donating to charitable causes, calling friends from times past, attending or viewing a religious ceremony.  But this post is less about that, and more about the rest of the image, those reindeer pulling his sleigh.

   Unless one lives way north, like Canada-Alaska north or Norway-Siberia north, one doesn't think much about reindeer;  indeed, many of us have probably never seen an actual reindeer face to face, either in the wild or behind a cage.  They are almost mythical in ways, even if they migrate in the millions and appear (yes, herds of them) in states such as Wisconsin, Idaho and Washington.  You may recognize these reindeer in the movies, for as the most migratory land mammal of all (they can and do travel nearly 2000+ miles in a year), we call them caribou.

   Reindeer are big, around 600 pounds big, and as such as prized by both hunters and ranchers for their meat and fur (their coat is similar to the polar bear, the inner layer thick and dense and the outer layer full of air-filled follicles which act much like down feathers, trapping the air and providing excellent insulation and warmth).  Reindeer can swim quite well and both their hooves and antlers are adaptable, the hooves changing with the seasons much as we would shift tires when winter comes.  The antlers fall from the males each year, but rarely from the females (yes, both sexes have antlers) and those male antlers can be rather large (second only to the moose).  And reindeer are fast, a one-day old calf already able to run faster than a human.

   So perhaps with all of those assets, the legend began for the reindeer seemed a natural fit, strong and fast, able to navigate a variety of terrains, and living on simple grasses such as lichen.  In addition, Santa could fly that well above the height range of mosquitoes and black flies (which can be so numerous in the tundra that a reindeer can easily lose a pint --a pint!-- of blood in two days).  In addition, reindeer can see more than we can as humans for their visibility extends into the ultraviolet spectrum.  So off Santa flew with his nine reindeer (can you name the original eight, not counting Rudolph?), ready to face the world...

   The story should end here.  But with all things good, there's another side to reindeer for their enemies lurk nearby...their nemesis, the white-tailed deer.  While quite different in range (although the deer are indeed beginning to infringe on the reindeers' territory due to climate warming), the reindeer are still relatively trustful of humans, having been domesticated in many parts of the world.  Not so for the wild and shy white-tailed deer (the excellent deer series by scientist Joe Hutto, might just change your mind of this subject, even as he explores "mule" deer, which are in rapid decline, vs. white-tail deer which are continuing to grow in population...it's worth clicking on the link to watch the Nature video presented by PBS).  What's more worrisome is the brain worm the white-tail deer carry (hunters, be sure not to eat the brain), one which often proves fatal to reindeer.  Santa never saw it coming but it might explain how he is so quick to leave the urban areas.

   So there you have it, a quick but different glimpse of the Santa tradition (did I mention that the velvet on the new antlers of any deer are necessary tissue which provide vitamins and minerals for the deer and thus creates yet another myth, that of providing virility for humans which means poachers which means...well, that's an entirely new subject).  So here's a good ending note...those fallen antlers, as tempting as they might be to discover and take home, actually provide calcium and other vital minerals for rodents and insects.  This Christmas, perhaps the best and most unusual gift you can offer is to simply leave the antlers where they are...truly, you'll be leaving an entire home happy and undisturbed.  To paraphrase Einstein,  nature and reindeer don't play dice with the universe.

Happy holidays!