Caribou - Wikipedia Caribou This article is about the North American subspecies of Reindeer. For other uses, see Caribou ( disambiguation ). Caribou / reindeer ( North America ) Male Porcupine caribou R. t. granti in Alaska Conservation status Vulnerable ( IUCN 3.1 ) Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Artiodactyla Family : Cervidae Subfamily : Capreolinae Genus : Rangifer C.H. Smith, 1827 Species : R. tarandus Binomial name Rangifer tarandus ( Linnaeus, 1758 ) Subspecies in North America R. t. caribou ( Boreal woodland caribou ) R. t. granti ( Porcupine caribou ) R. t. groenlandicus ( Barren - ground caribou ) R. t. pearyi ( Peary caribou ) Also see text Approximate range of barren - ground caribou. Overlap with other subspecies of caribou is possible for contiguous range. 1. Rangifer tarandus caribou subdivided into ecotypes : boreal woodland ; migratory woodland ; montane woodland ; 2. Queen Charlotte Islands ( extinct 1907 ) ; 3. Porcupine ; 4. barren - ground ; 5. Peary Synonyms reindeer in Europe and Eurasia A caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou, and other trinomials under Rangifer tarandus ) is any of several North American subspecies, ecotypes, populations, and herds of the species Rangifer tarandus, or reindeer. In North America caribou vary in size from the smallest, the Peary caribou, to the largest, the boreal woodland caribou. The North American range of caribou extends from Alaska, through the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, into the boreal forest and south through the Canadian Rockies and the Columbia and Selkirk Mountains. Barren - ground, Porcupine caribou and Peary caribou live in the tundra, while the shy woodland caribou prefers the boreal forest. Two major subspecies in North America, the Porcupine caribou and the barren - ground caribou, form large herds and undertake lengthy seasonal migrations from birthing grounds, to summer and winter feeding grounds in the tundra and taiga. The migrations of Porcupine caribou herds are among the longest of any terrestrial mammal. Barren - ground caribou are also found in Kitaa in Greenland, but the larger herds are in Alaska, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The circumpolar species itself, Rangifer tarandus, at a global level, is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( ICUN ) as vulnerable `` due to an observed 40 % decline over three generations ( about 21 -- 27 years ) across the circum - Arctic countries, when Rangifer declined from about 4,800,000 to 2,890,410 individuals. '' The populations of subspecies, ecotypes, populations and herds of caribou in North America are in decline and one subspecies, the iconic boreal woodland caribou, has been listed by COSEWIC as threatened since 2002. The George River caribou herd ( GRCH ), in the Ungava Peninsula of Quebec and Labrador in eastern Canada was once the world 's largest herd with 800,000 -- 900,000 animals. By 2012 the herd numbered 27,600 and declined to 14,200 animals in 2014. The metapopulation of the more - sedentary subspecies R. t. caribou, or woodland caribou, spans the boreal forest of Canada from the Northwest Territories to Labrador. They are shy animals whose main food source is arboreal lichens of the mature forests and mainly live in marshes, bogs, lakes, and river regions. Since it takes hundreds of years for a biomass of tree lichen to be adequate to sustain boreal woodland caribou populations, deforestation has been a major factor in the decline of their numbers. The historic range of the boreal woodland caribou covered over half of present - day Canada, stretching from Alaska to Newfoundland and Labrador and as far south as New England, Idaho, and Washington. The smallest subspecies in North America, the Peary caribou is found in the High and Low Arctic, in the Northwest Territories ( particularly, Banks Island ) and in Nunavut ( mainly Baffin Island ). The caribou is a specialist that is well adapted to cooler climates, with hollow - hair fur that covers almost all of its body including its nose, and provides insulation in winter and flotation for swimming. Caribou can reach a speed of 60 -- 80 km / h ( 37 -- 50 mph ). Young caribou can already outrun an Olympic sprinter when only a day old. The caribou 's favourite winter food is fruticose deer lichen. Seventy percent of the diet of woodland caribou consists of arboreal lichen which take hundreds of years to grow and are therefore only found in mature forests. Although there are many variations in colour and size, Canadian Geographic magazine states that in general, barren - ground caribou have larger antlers than the woodland caribou subspecies. Barren - ground caribou have large distinguishing white patches of fur that extend beyond the neck onto the back, a white muzzle and a face that is darker than the rest of the body. Their fur is sandy - beige in winter and light brown in summer. The woodland caribou have a wider more compact body and wider antlers. The coat is a rich dark brown in summer and dark grey in winter. Both the barren - ground and woodland caribou often have white `` socks '' above their hooves. On average the male weighs 90 -- 110 kg ( 200 -- 240 lb ) and measures 0.9 -- 1.7 m ( 3.0 -- 5.6 ft ) in shoulder height. The woodland caribou are the largest, and the Peary caribou are the smallest. The largest Alaskan male Porcupine caribou can weigh as much as 310 kilograms ( 680 lb ). Female caribou can live up to 17 years, and male caribou live about 13 years. Both sexes grow antlers, though in some woodland caribou populations, the females lack antlers completely. Antlers are larger in males. Caribou are an integral part of First Nations and Inuit oral histories and legends including the Gwich'in creation story of how Gwich'in people and the caribou separated from a single entity. Contents 1 Nomenclature 2 Naming and etymology 3 Biology and behaviour 3.1 Reproduction and life - cycle 3.2 Physical characteristics 3.3 Antlers 4 Size 4.1 Pelage 4.2 Hooves 4.3 Countercurrent heat exchange 4.4 Clicking sound 4.5 Diet 4.6 Seasonal body composition 4.7 Migration and range 5 Ecology 5.1 Distribution and habitat 5.2 Predators 5.2. 1 White - tailed deer, a threat to caribou 5.2. 2 Wolves 5.2. 3 Insect harassment 5.3 Taxonomy and evolution 5.4 Evolution 5.4. 1 Phylogenetics 5.5 Subspecies 6 Rangifer tarandus by country 6.1 North America 6.2 United States 6.2. 1 Alaska 6.2. 1.1 Porcupine caribou herd 6.2. 2 Reindeer imported to Alaska 6.3 Canada 6.3. 1 Nunavut 6.3. 1.1 Ahiak, Beverly, Qamanirjuaq herds 6.4 Dolphin - Union Caribou 6.5 Peary caribou 6.6 Northwest Territories 6.7 R. t. caribou 6.7. 1 George River caribou herd ( GRCH ) 6.7. 2 Leaf River caribou herd ( LRCH ) 6.7. 3 Queen Charlotte Islands caribou 6.8 Alberta 7 Conservation and recovery 8 Relationship with humans 9 First Nations and Inuit oral histories 9.1 In mythology and art 10 Canadian icon 11 See also 12 Notes 13 Further reading 14 Citations 15 References 16 External links Nomenclature The term `` caribou '' derives from the Mi'kmaw word `` qalipu '' ( pronounced / kah - li - bu / ), literally meaning `` the shoveller ''. Caribou have been referred to as reindeer or wild reindeer depending on context, specifically in Alaska where attempts were made at importing domesticated reindeer from Siberia. There are occurrences of the subspecies barren - ground caribou in western Greenland. Current classifications of Rangifer tarandus, either with prevailing taxonomy on subspecies, designations based on ecotypes, and natural population groupings, fail to capture `` the variability of caribou across their range in Canada '' needed for effective species conservation and management. `` Across the range of a species, individuals may display considerable morphological, genetic, and behavioural variability reflective of both plasticity and adaptation to local environments. '' COSEWIC developed Designated Unit ( DU ) attribution to add to classifications already in use. Naming and etymology Further information : Reindeer The name caribou comes, through the French, from the Mi'kmaq xalibu or Qalipu meaning `` the one who paws ''. Marc Lescarbot in his publication in French, used the term `` caribou. '' Silas Tertius Rand translated the Mi'kmaq word Kaleboo as `` caribou '' in his Mi'kmaq - English. The Gwich'in people have over two dozen distinct caribou - related words. In Inuktitut, spoken in the eastern Arctic, the caribou is known by the name `` tuktu ''. With its range across North America and depth of history, Rangifer tarandus has countless aboriginal names. The nomadic Naskapi people followed the George River Caribou Herd. `` By the late 1940s, the pressures of the fur trade, high rates of mortality and debilitation from diseases communicated by Europeans, and the effects of the virtual disappearance of the herd, reduced the Naskapi to a state where their very survival was threatened. '' Names for caribou in indigenous languages caribou syllabics or meaning language people region R. t. subspecies and ecotype language family qalipu one who paws Mi'kmaq Mi'kmaq what is now Eastern Canada and U.S. R. t. caribou Algonquian atíhko caribou Woods Cree Cree Northern Manitoba R t groenlandicus Algonquian atihkw Cree - Montagnais - Naskapi region R. t. caribou Algonquian bedzeyh Koyukon language Koyukon Alaska ( Western Arctic caribou herd ) R. t. granti Athabaskan vadzaih caribou Gwich'in language Gwich'in Northwest Territories ( Porcupine River ) R. t. granti, Blue Nose herd, R.t. caribou Athabaskan wëdzey Hän language Hän Athabaskan tuktu Inuktitut Inuit Nunavut ( barren - ground ) and Labrador R. t. groenlandicus Eskimo -- Aleut tuttu Inupiaq language Inupiat people Alaska R. t. granti ( Western Arctic caribou herd ) Eskimo -- Aleut tuntu Yup'ik Yup'ik Alaska ( Western Arctic caribou herd ) R. t. granti Eskimo -- Aleut Biology and behaviour Reproduction and life - cycle Further information : Rut ( mammalian reproduction ) § Cervidae According to SARA, in their latest compilation on woodland caribou, `` The rut, or mating period, for caribou usually occurs in late September and the first half of October. Caribou cows begin breeding as early as 16 months of age ; most breed annually by the time they are 28 months old, typically giving birth to a single calf the following spring ( mid-May to mid-June ). The males may theoretically breed at 18 to 20 months of age, but most probably have no opportunity before their third or fourth year. During the rut, males engage in frequent and furious sparring battles with their antlers. Large males with large antlers do most of the mating. To calve, females travel to isolated, relatively predator - free areas such as islands in lakes, peatlands, lakeshores, or tundra. Group size is lowest during calving and in summer ; it increases before the rut and may decline or increase over the winter. Group size at all seasons is larger for forest - tundra caribou than forest - dwelling caribou. Survival rates for calves average between 30 % and 50 %, but can vary from almost none to 100 %. Many factors interact to determine calf survival, including quality and quantity of forage ( for pregnant females and in the first year of life ), number of predators, and weather. The potential for very high survival means that it is possible for local populations to increase rapidly when conditions are favourable. -- SARA 2014 Caribou mate in October and the gestation period is about 228 -- 234 days. In May or June the calves are born. Males live 4 years less than the females whose maximum longevity is about 17 years. Females with a normal body size who have had sufficient summer nutrition, can begin breeding anytime between the ages of one to three years. When a female has undergone nutritional stress, it is possible for her to not reproduce for the year. Dominant males, those with larger body size and antler racks, inseminate more than one doe a season. To calve, `` females travel to isolated, relatively predator - free areas such as islands in lakes, peatlands, lakeshores, or tundra. '' As females select the habitat for the birth of their calves, they are more wary than males. Dugmore noted that in their seasonal migrations the herd follows a doe for that reason. Newborns weigh on average 6 kg ( 13 lb ). As the weather cools in the fall, barren - ground and Porcupine caribou leave their summer grounds forming large herds and migrate south for the winter. They start mating when large lakes were frozen over. Just prior to mating, the males of both caribou are in prime condition, fat and ready to battle for mates. Bulls at this time are more aggressive and they are usually alone. Physical characteristics Antlers Male caribou used their antlers to compete with other males during the mating season. `` During the rut, males engage in frequent and furious sparring battles with their antlers. Large males with large antlers do most of the mating. '' The velvet that covers growing antlers is a highly vascularized skin. When the antler growth is fully grown and hardened, the velvet is shed or rubbed off. Caribou continue to migrate until the bull caribou had spent the back fat ( IOHP 065 ). After the mating season, the male caribou shed his antlers, growing a new pair the next summer with a larger rack than the previous year. As the antler grows it is covered in thick velvet, filled with blood vessels and spongy in texture. In the woodland caribou, the velvet is brown.... these antlers get detached every year... Young males lose the velvet from the antlers much more quickly than female caribou even though they are not fully mature. They start to work with their antlers just as soon as the velvet starts to fall off. The young males engage in fights with their antlers towards autumn... soon after the velvet had fallen off they will be red, as they start to get bleached their colour changes... When the velvet starts to fall off the antler is red because the antler is made from blood. The antler is the blood that has hardened, in fact the core of the antler is still bloody when the velvet starts to fall off, at least close to the base. -- Noah Piugaattuk of Igloolik ( IOHP 037 ) In most caribou subspecies, both males and females grow antlers -- unique among cervid species. Some R. t. caribou ecotype females do not have antlers. The antlers typically have two separate groups of points, a lower and upper. There is considerable subspecific variation in the size of the antlers ( e.g., rather small and spindly in R. t. pearyi ), but, on average, the bull 's antlers are the second largest of any living deer, after the moose. In the largest caribou -- R. t. caribou -- antlers of large males can range up to 100 cm ( 39 in ) in width and 135 cm ( 53 in ) in beam length. They have the largest antlers relative to body size among living deer species. Males have larger, more - extravagant antlers, but most females have antlers too during part of the year, although some females may have only one antler or no antlers at all. ( Boreal Caribou ATK Reports, 2010 - 2011 ) The antler 's main beam begins at the brow `` extending posterior over the shoulders and bowing so that the tips point forwards. The prominent, palmate brow tines extend forward, over the face. '' In late fall or early winter after the rut, male caribou lose their antlers. Female caribou keep their antlers until they calve. Antlers begin to grow on male caribou in March and on female caribou in May or June. This process is called antlerogenesis. While the antler is developing, it is covered in velvet which is rubbed off when the antler bone hardens. This velvet is dark brown on woodland or barren - ground caribou and slate grey on Peary caribou. Antlers grow very quickly every year on the males. Velvet lumps in March can develop into a rack measuring more than a metre in length ( 3 ft ) by August. When bull caribou shed their antlers in early to midwinter, the antlered female caribou acquire the highest ranks in the feeding hierarchy, gaining access to the best forage areas. These cows are healthier than those without antlers. Calves whose mothers do not have antlers are more prone to disease and have significantly higher mortality. Females in good nutritional condition, for example, during a mild winter with good winter range quality, may grow new antlers earlier as antler growth requires high intake. Antler size measured in number of points reflects the nutritional status of the caribou and climate variation of its environment. The number of points on male caribou increased from birth to five - years of age and remained relatively constant from then on. `` In male caribou, antler mass ( but not the number of tines ) varies in concert with body mass. '' While antlers of bull woodland caribou are typically smaller than barren - ground caribou, they can be over one metre across. They are flattened, compact, and relatively dense. Geist describes them as frontally emphasized, flat - beamed antlers. Woodland caribou antlers are thicker and broader than those of the barren - ground caribou, and their legs and heads are longer. The antler velvet of the barren - ground caribou and woodland caribou are dark chocolate brown. Quebec - Labrador bull caribou antlers can be significantly larger and wider than other woodland caribou. Central barren - ground bull caribou are perhaps the most diverse in configuration and can grow to be very high and wide. Mountain caribou are typically the most massive with the largest circumference measurements. Peary caribou and the Dolphin - Union Caribou herd have light slate - grey antler velvet. Size In all caribou subspecies males are 10 % to 50 % heavier than females. Weight varies drastically seasonally with males losing as much as 40 % of their pre-rut weight. The woodland caribou is the largest of the North American caribou subspecies. Their legs and heads are longer than the barren - ground caribou. The Porcupine, barren - ground Bluenose caribou herd, and woodland caribou all occupy Gwich'in land. According to traditional knowledge woodland caribou are easily distinguishable from Porcupine caribou. They are much bigger than the Porcupine caribou `` half between a caribou and a moose. '' Peary caribou are the size of a deer. Size male caribou caribou total length height at shoulder weight average male caribou all subspecies 167 -- 298 cm ( 5.48 -- 9.78 ft ) 87 -- 158 cm ( 2.85 -- 5.18 ft ) 66 -- 300 kg ( 146 -- 661 lb ) largest male 310 kg ( 680 lb ) Size female caribou caribou total length height at shoulder weight average female caribou all subspecies 105.4 -- 234 cm ( 41.5 -- 92.1 in ) 80 -- 139 cm ( 31 -- 55 in ) 51 -- 156 kg ( 112 -- 344 lb ) Caribou across North America range in size. In the farthest west, Alaskan caribou females usually measure 162 -- 205 cm ( 5.31 -- 6.73 ft ) in length and weigh 80 -- 120 kg ( 180 -- 260 lb ). The males ( or `` bulls '' ) are typically larger ( although the extent to which varies in the different subspecies ), measuring 180 -- 214 cm ( 71 -- 84 in ) in length and usually weighing 159 -- 182 kg ( 351 -- 401 lb ), though exceptionally large males have weighed as much as 318 kg ( 701 lb ). Shoulder height typically measure from 85 to 150 cm ( 2.79 to 4.92 ft ), and the tail is 14 to 20 cm ( 0.46 to 0.66 ft ) long. Pelage The colour of the fur varies considerably, both individually and depending on season and subspecies. The Peary caribou are whiter and relatively small ; woodland caribou are darker brown with unique patches of white fur. The Alaskan and barren - ground caribou are greyer than the woodland caribou. The coat has two layers of fur : a dense woolly undercoat and longer - haired overcoat consisting of hollow, air - filled hairs. Fur is the primary insulation factor that allows caribou to regulate their core body temperature in relation to their environment, the thermogradient, even if the temperature rises to 100 ° F ( 38 ° C ). In 1913 Dugmore noted how the woodland caribou swim so high out of the water, unlike any other mammal, because their hollow, `` air - filled, quill - like hair '' acts as a supporting `` life jacket. '' The boreal woodland caribou is well - adapted to cold environments with a compact body covered with a thick and long coat ( thicker in winter than in summer ). They with a large blunt muzzle, short wide ears, and a small tail. Adults have a brown to dark - brown coat in summer, becoming grayer in winter. Its body is covered in long, thick hairs that almost uniformly dark brown in summer and nearly gray in winter. Adults have distinctive creamy white neck, mane, shoulder stripe, underbelly, underside of the tail, and patch above each hoof ( Boreal Caribou ATK Reports, 2010 - 2011 ). The woodland caribou is darker in colour than the barren - ground caribou. Hooves The caribou has large feet with crescent - shaped, cloven hooves for walking in snow or swamps. According to the Species at Risk Public Registry ( SARA ), woodland, `` Caribou have large feet with four toes. In addition to two small ones, called `` dew claws, '' they have two large, crescent - shaped toes that support most of their weight and serve as shovels when digging for food under snow. These large concave hooves offer stable support on wet, soggy ground and on crusty snow. The pads of the hoof change from a thick, fleshy shape in the summer to become hard and thin in the winter months, reducing the animal 's exposure to the cold ground. Additional winter protection comes from the long hair between the `` toes '' ; it covers the pads so the caribou walks only on the horny rim of the hooves. '' -- SARA 2014 Their 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 cuts into the ice and crusted snow to keep it from slipping. This also enables them to dig down ( an activity known as `` cratering '' ). `` In the winter, the fleshy pads on these toes grow longer and form a tough, hornlike rim. Caribou use these large, sharp - edged hooves to dig through the snow and uncover the lichens that sustain them in winter months. Biologists call this activity `` cratering '' because of the crater - like cavity the caribou 's hooves leave in the snow. '' through the snow to their favorite food, a lichen known as reindeer moss. Countercurrent heat exchange Blood moving into the legs is cooled by blood returning to the body in a countercurrent heat exchange ( CCHE ), a highly efficient means of minimizing heat loss through the skin 's surface. In the CCHE mechanism, in cold weather, blood vessels are closely knotted and intertwined with arteries to the skin and appendages that carry warm blood with veins returning to the body that carry cold blood causing the warm arterial blood to exchange heat with the cold venous blood. In this way, their legs for example are kept cool, maintaining the core body temperature nearly 30 ° C ( 54 ° F ) higher with less heat lost to the environment. Heat is recycled instead of being dissipated. The `` heart does not have to pump blood as rapidly in order to maintain a constant body core temperature and thus, metabolic rate. '' CCHE is present in animals like caribou, fox and moose living in extreme conditions of cold or hot weather as a mechanism for retaining the heat in ( or out of ) the body. These are countercurrent exchange systems with the same fluid, usually blood, in a circuit, used for both directions of flow. North American caribou, have specialized counter-current vascular heat exchange in their nasal passages. Temperature gradient along the nasal mucosa is under physiological control. Incoming cold air is warmed by body heat before entering the lungs, and water is condensed from the expired air and captured before the deer 's breath is exhaled, used to moisten dry incoming air and possibly absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes. Like moose, caribou have specialized noses featuring nasal turbinate bones that dramatically increase the surface area within the nostrils. Clicking sound According to thirty - year veteran, David Shackleton, University of British Columbia emeritus professor, who has published widely on ungulates and other large mammals, the clicking sound made by caribou as they walk is caused by small tendons slipping over bone protuberances ( sesamoid bones ) in their feet. Dugmore, who in 1913 spent considerable time in the field studying Newfoundland woodland caribou at close range, considered this curious clicking sound, made when a caribou was walking or running, which he thought was made by some internal mechanism of the foot, to be one of the caribou 's strangest characteristics. The sound occurred when the full weight of the foot is on the ground or just after it is relieved of the weight. On a quiet day, the sound can be heard 150 feet ( 46 m ) or more away. Diet Caribou licking salt from roadway in British Columbia Rangifer tarandus are ruminants, having a four - chambered stomach. They mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss -- the `` only large mammal able to metabolize lichen owing to specialized bacteria and protozoa in their gut. '' Each ecotype eats a diet based on the surrounding ecology. Mountain caribou eat lichen from trees, for example. They have been known to eat their own fallen antlers, probably for calcium. They also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses. Seasonal body composition Caribou have developed adaptions for optimal metabolic efficiency during warm months as well as for during cold months. The body composition of caribou varies highly with the seasons. Of particular interest is the body composition and diet of breeding and non-breeding females between seasons. Breeding females have more body mass than non-breeding females between the months of March and September with a difference of around 10 kg more than non-breeding females. From November to December, non-breeding females have more body mass than breeding females as non-breeding females were able to focus their energies towards storage during colder months rather than lactation and reproduction. Body masses of both breeding and non-breeding females peaked in September. During the months of March through April, breeding females have more fat mass than the nonbreeding females with a difference of almost 3 kg. After this however, nonbreeding females on average have a higher fat mass than the breeding females. The environmental variations play a large part in caribou nutrition, as winter nutrition is crucial to adult and neonatal survival rates. Lichens are a staple during the winter months as they 're a readily available food source, which reduces the reliance on stored body reserves. Lichens are a crucial part of the caribou diet, however they are less prevalent in the diet of pregnant caribou compared to non-pregnant individuals. The amount of lichen in a diet is found more in non-pregnant adult diets than pregnant individuals due to the lack of nutritional value. Although lichens are high in carbohydrates, they are lacking in essential proteins that vascular plants provide. The amount of lichen in a diet decreases in latitude that results in nutritional stress being higher in areas with low lichen abundance. Migration and range Alaskan caribou aggregation in 1002 Area, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( April 2008 ) Some populations of the North American caribou, for example, many herds in the subspecies, the barren - ground caribou, and some woodland caribou in Ungava and Labrador, migrate the farthest of any terrestrial mammal, travelling up to 5,000 km ( 3,100 mi ) a year, and covering 1,000,000 km ( 390,000 sq mi ). Other North American populations, the woodland caribou ( boreal ) for example, are largely sedentary. Smaller herds and island herds like R. t. pearsoni make the shortest migrations least. Normally travelling about 19 -- 55 km ( 12 -- 34 mi ) a day while migrating, the caribou can run at speeds of 60 -- 80 km / h ( 37 -- 50 mph ). Young caribou can already outrun an Olympic sprinter when only a day old. During the spring migration smaller herds will group together to form larger herds of 50,000 to 500,000 animals. During autumn migrations groups become smaller and they begin to mate. During the winter, migratory herds travel to winter feeding grounds along coastlines in the tundra above the tree line. Below the tree line they shift to the forest for winter feeding. By spring, groups leave their winter grounds to go to the calving grounds. A caribou can swim easily and quickly, normally at 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. Ecology Distribution and habitat Originally, the caribou range spanned the northern conterminous USA from Washington to Maine. In the 19th century, it was apparently still present in southern Idaho. During the late Pleistocene era, reindeer were found as far south as Nevada and Tennessee in North America. According to the Grubb, Rangifer tarandus is `` circumboreal in the tundra and taiga '' from `` Alaska ( USA ) and Canada including most Arctic islands, and USA ( Northern Idaho and the Great Lakes region ). Predators Predation by wolves, bears, coyotes, cougar, and lynx and over-hunting by people in some areas, contribute to the decline of the populations of woodland caribou. Healthy caribou are faster than their predators including wolves. Wolverines -- who are themselves a threatened species in some parts of Canada -- can kill adult caribou. Bears prey on caribou but are most likely to attack weaker animals, such as calves and sick deer. As carrion, caribou are fed on opportunistically by foxes, ravens, hawks, and golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ). White - tailed deer, a threat to caribou White - tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) commonly carry meningeal worm or brainworm, a nematode parasite that causes caribou, moose ( Alces alces ), elk ( Cervus canadensis ), and mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) to develop fatal neurological symptoms which include a loss of fear of humans. White - tailed deer that carry this worm are partly immune to it. Changes in climate and habitat beginning in the twentieth century have expanded range overlap between white - tailed deer and caribou, increasing the frequency of infection within the caribou population. This increase in infection is a concern for wildlife managers. Human activities, such as `` clear - cutting forestry practices, forest fires, and the clearing for agriculture, roadways, railways, and power lines, '' favour the conversion of habitats into the preferred habitat of the white - tailed deer - `` open forest interspersed with meadows, clearings, grasslands, and riparian flatlands. '' Wolves Through human activities in northeastern Alberta for example, there have been dramatic changes in forest composition. The increase in young deciduous forest stands attract and sustain increased number of moose, elk and / or deer. These changes lead to increases in the number of predators, especially wolves, and a subsequent increase in predation threat to caribou. White - tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) expanded further north and west to Prince George as the land adjacent to the northern Rockies was converted by industry or agriculture into a habitat that is favourable to deer, widespread deciduous vegetation. As the density of white - tailed deer increased in the post-industrial period ( 2005 -- 2009 ), so did the population of wolves ( Canis lupus ), the primary and natural predator of caribou. The higher density of wolves led to higher woodland caribou mortality. During this period wolves consumed more deer and fewer moose. Caribou increased 10-fold in the diet of wolves in northeast Alberta and caribou population trends in the region changed from stable to declining. '' Wolves ( Canis lupus ) are the natural and primary predators of caribou. Since the 1920s there have been no wolves on the island of Newfoundland. Without wolves, caribou can overgraze and out feed their range. In 1980, Slate Island, located in northern Lake Superior, 10 km ( 6.2 mi ) south of the town of Terrace Bay, where there are no wolves or other predators, had the highest density of woodland caribou in the world with a population peaking at 660. The population of woodland caribou in the northeastern corner of British Columbia is in an area with a high density of wolves and there is concern that the caribou herd is not self - sustaining. The woodland caribou population of the Selkirk Mountains in extreme northern Idaho, eastern Washington, and British Columbia is in an area with a high incidence of whitetail deer and wolves and caribou numbers declined dramatically. In the preparation of their recovery strategy for woodland caribou in Alberta, the Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Team, concluded that wolf predation was the most common cause of adult woodland caribou mortality. '' `` Although caribou have co-existed with predators for millennia in Alberta, recent human activities and forest fires ( both human and naturally caused ) have increased the vulnerability of caribou to predation. Changes in forest composition and the development of access routes are thought to be primary causes. For example, both timber harvesting and fire increase the amount of young forest stands and of various plant species, which in many cases attract and sustain increased number of moose, elk and / or deer. These changes lead to increases in the number of predators, especially wolves, and a subsequent increase in predation threat to caribou. In addition, habitat loss and alteration ( including carriers to caribou movement and reduced use of areas by caribou ) may concentrate caribou in restricted portions of their range. Since maintaining low population densities is one of the ways that caribou avoid predation, this concentration of animals may lead to greater caribou mortality. Finally, research has demonstrated that linear access corridors facilitate wolf travel and hunting behaviour within caribou range. Continued industrial and / or non-industrial use of corridors may further facilitate wolf - hunting efficiency by compacting snow during winter. '' The population of caribou in Pukaskwa National Park has `` declined from approximately 30 caribou in the 1970s to an estimated four currently, largely due to predation by wolves and possibly black bears. '' According to the Canadian Wildlife Federation in Canada, `` Despite its vast range, the boreal population of woodland caribou ( boreal ecotype of forest - dwelling woodland caribou ) has been listed as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC ) since 2002 and endangered in British Columbia. One of the main reasons numbers are dropping is that fewer calves are surviving their first year of life. The main cause is predation. More calves are being preyed on by wolves and black bears than ever before. '' Insect harassment Tormenting insects keep caribou on the move searching for windy areas like hilltops and mountain ridges, rock reefs, lakeshore and forest openings, or snow patches that offer respite from the buzzing horde. Gathering in large herds is another strategy caribou use to block insects. `` Changes in insect phenology -- earlier emergence and increased abundance -- indirectly reduce summer forage availability by reducing the amount of time Rangifer can spend foraging undisturbed. -- Vors 2013 : 16 Mosquitoes ( Culicidae ), black flies ( Simuliidae ), and oestrid flies ( warble flies ) Hypoderma tarandi and nose bot flies ( Cephenemyia trompe ) harass caribou herds particularly during the prime foraging period which is the post-calving and summer period. As temperatures on the tundra rose, the number of black and oestrid flies in the Bathurst barren - ground caribou herd study area in Northwest Territories increased. Feeding is inhibited and energy expended as panicked caribou attempt to escape insects resulting in loss of weight, poorer body condition and reproductive capacity. An adult reindeer will lose perhaps about 1 litre ( 0.26 US gal ) of blood to biting insects for every week it spends in the tundra. So a warmer Arctic climate will produce better vegetation for foraging caribou, this will be offset by increased harassment by insects. Taxonomy and evolution The species taxonomic name Rangifer tarandus ( reindeer, caribou ) was defined by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The subspecies taxonomic name, Rangifer tarandus caribou was defined by Gmelin in 1788. According to the then - Canadian Wildlife Service Chief Mammalogist, Frank Banfield, in his often - cited A Revision of the Reindeer and Caribou, Genus Rangifer ( 1961 ), R. t. caboti ( Labrador caribou ), R. t. osborni ( Osborn 's caribou -- from British Columbia ) and R. t. terraenovae ( Newfoundland caribou ) were considered invalid and included in R. t. caribou. Some recent authorities have considered them all valid, even suggesting that they are quite distinct. In their book entitled Mammal Species of the World, American zoologist Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn Reeder agree with Valerius Geist, specialist on large North American mammals, that this range actually includes several subspecies. The woodland caribou 's frontally emphasized, flat - beamed antlers are evident in this drawing by Foresman Geist ( 2007 ) argued that the `` true woodland caribou, the uniformly dark, small - manned type with the frontally emphasized, flat - beamed antlers '', which is `` scattered thinly along the southern rim of North American caribou distribution '' has been incorrectly classified. He affirms that `` true woodland caribou is very rare, in very great difficulties and requires the most urgent of attention. '' In 2005, an analysis of mtDNA found differences between the caribou from Newfoundland, Labrador, south - western Canada and south - eastern Canada, but maintained all in R. t. caribou. Mallory and Hillis argued that, `` Although the taxonomic designations reflect evolutionary events, they do not appear to reflect current ecological conditions. In numerous instances, populations of the same subspecies have evolved different demographic and behavioural adaptations, while populations from separate subspecies have evolved similar demographic and behavioural patterns... `` ( U ) nderstanding ecotype in relation to existing ecological constraints and releases may be more important than the taxonomic relationships between populations. '' Evolution The caribou `` evolved in North America and spread to Eurasia where they are known as reindeer. '' The `` glacial - interglacial cycles of the upper Pleistocene had a major influence on the evolution '' of Rangifer tarandus and other Arctic and sub-Arctic species. Much of the Late Pleistocene age was dominated by glaciation ( the Wisconsin glaciation in North America and corresponding glacial periods in Eurasia ). Rangifer tarandus was isolated in refugia during the last glacial - the Wisconsin in North America -- extending approximately from 85,000 BP to 11,000 BP -- and the Weishselian. According to research based on mitochondrial DNA, `` ancestral populations of R. t. caribou likely survived the Wisconsin glaciation in separate refugia located south of the continental ice sheet, while other Rangifer tarandus subspecies '' -- R. t. groenlandicus and R. t. granti -- `` survived north of the ice sheet. '' ( Røed et al. 1991 ) Newfoundland caribou are most closely related to other woodland caribou ( R. t. caribou ) from Labrador, Quebec, and Alberta rather than barren - ground caribou ( R.t groenlandicus and R. t. granti ) from northern Canada and Alaska. Phylogenetics Phylogenetic analyses of caribou reveal that caribou were isolated by the ice sheet into two glacial refugia, a northern Beringia European Lineage ( BEL ) and North American Lineage ( NAL ) diverging about 300,000 years ago When the ice sheet melted, the NAL caribou `` spread west across the boreal region, and north into the Rocky Mountains. '' The BEL caribou `` spread south from the Beringean refugium in present - day western Yukon, north into the Arctic islands and eastward. '' Subspecies The canonical Mammal Species of the World ( 2005 ) recognized fourteen subspecies of Rangifer tarandus globally. Two of these subspecies are only in North America -- the Porcupine caribou and Peary caribou. Barren - ground caribou are found in western Greenland, but the larger herds are in Alaska, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. subspecies of Rangifer tarandus in North America subspecies name migratory division ! range weight of male evolution R. t. caribou ( Gmelin, 1788 ) Woodland caribou ( Gmelin, 1788 ) -- boreal woodland caribou sedentary boreal forest Canada and U.S R. t. granti Porcupine caribou Grant 's caribou migratory tundra Alaska, Yukon 300 kg ( 660 lb ) R. t. groenlandicus ( Borowski, 1780 ) barren - ground caribou ( Borowski, 1780 ) migratory tundra Nunavut, NWT, western Greenland 150 kg ( 330 lb ) R. t. pearyi ( J.A. Allen, 1902 ) Peary caribou ( J.A. Allen, 1902 ) island species make local movements Banks Island, NWT, High Arctic population ( Baffin Island ), Nunavut smallest Extinct subspecies of Rangifer tarandus in North America subspecies name migratory tundra range height of male extinct since R. t. dawsoni ( Thompson - Seton, 1900 ) † Queen Charlotte Islands caribou extinct no Queen Charlotte Islands no data 1910 Subspecies of Rangifer tarandus in North America that are not part of Banfield 's 1961 review subspecies name migratory tundra range height of male R. t. osborni * * ( J.A. Allen, 1902 ) Osborn 's caribou J.A. Allen, 1902 British Columbia no data R. t. terraenovae * * ( Bangs, 1896 ) Newfoundland caribou Bangs, 1896 R. t. caboti * * ( G.M. Allen, 1914 ) Labrador caribou G.M. Allen, 1914 The table above includes R. tarandus caboti ( Labrador caribou ), R. tarandus osborni ( Osborn 's caribou -- from British Columbia ) and R. tarandus terraenovae ( Newfoundland caribou ). Based on Banfield 's review in 1961, R. tarandus caboti ( Labrador caribou ), R. tarandus osborni ( Osborn 's caribou -- from British Columbia ) and R. tarandus terraenovae ( Newfoundland caribou ) were considered invalid and included in R. tarandus caribou. However, more recent authorities have considered them all valid, even suggesting that they are quite distinct. An analysis of mtDNA in 2005 found differences between the caribou from Newfoundland, Labrador, south - western Canada and south - eastern Canada, but maintained all in R. t. caribou. Some of the species Rangifer tarandus and subspecies may be further divided by ecotype depending on several behavioural factors - predominant habitat use ( northern, tundra, mountain, forest, boreal forest, forest - dwelling, woodland, woodland ( mountain ), woodland ( boreal ), woodland ( migratory ), spacing ( dispersed or aggregated ) and migration ( sedentary or migratory ). Rangifer tarandus by country North America Approximate range of caribou subspecies in North America. Overlap is possible for contiguous range. 1. Rangifer tarandus caribou subdivided into ecotypes : woodland ( boreal ), woodland ( migratory ), woodland ( montane ), 2. R. t. dawsoni extinct 1907, 3. R. t. granti, 4. R. t. groenlandicus, 5. Groenlandicus / Pearyi 6. R. t. pearyi There are four living subspecies of R. tarandus, locally known in North America as caribou -- Rangifer tarandus caribou subdivided into ecotypes : woodland ( boreal ), woodland ( migratory ), woodland ( montane ), R. t. granti, R. t. groenlandicus and R. t. pearyi. In North America, because of its vast range in a wide diversity of ecosystems, the subspecies Rangifer tarandus caribou is further distinguished by a number of ecotypes, including boreal woodland caribou, mountain woodland caribou and migratory woodland caribou ). Populations -- caribou that do not migrate -- or herds -- those that do migrate -- may not fit into narrow ecotypes. For example, Banfield 's 1961 classification of the migratory George River Caribou Herd, in the Ungava region of Quebec and Labrador, as subspecies Rangifer tarandus caribou, woodland caribou, remains -- although other woodland caribou are mainly sedentary. United States Although there are remnant populations of R. t. caribou boreal woodland caribou in the northern United States, most of U.S. caribou populations are in Alaska. There are four herds in Alaska, the Western Arctic herd, Teshekpuk Lake herd, the Central Arctic herd and the Porcupine herd. Alaska Alaska has several herds of R. t. granti. The largest is the Western Arctic Caribou Herd but the smaller Porcupine caribou herd has the longest migration of any terrestrial mammal on earth with a vast historical range. The smaller Central Arctic herd ( 32 000 in 2002 ). Porcupine caribou herd Main article : Porcupine caribou Male Porcupine caribou R. t. granti in Alaska Migratory caribou herds are named after their birthing grounds, in this case the Porcupine River, which runs through a large part of the range of the Porcupine herd. Individual herds of migratory caribou once had over a million animals per herd, and could taking over ten days to cross the Yukon River, but these numbers dramatically declined with habitat disturbance and degradation. Though numbers fluctuate, the herd comprises approximately 169 000 animals ( based on a July 2010 photocensus ). The Porcupine herd 's annual migrations of 1,500 miles ( 2,400 km ) are among the longest of any terrestrial mammal. Their range spans approximately 260,000 km ( 64,000,000 acres ), from Dawson City, Yukon to Aklavik, NWT to Kaktovik, Alaska on the Beaufort Sea. The Porcupine caribou or Grant 's caribou ( Rangifer tarandus granti ) is a subspecies with a vast range that includes northeastern Alaska and the Yukon, and is therefore cooperatively managed by government agencies and aboriginal peoples from both countries. The Gwich'in people, followed the Porcupine caribou herd -- their primary source of food, tools, and clothing -- for thousands of years -- according to oral tradition, for as long as 20,000 years. They continued their nomadic lifestyle until the 1870s. This herd is also traditional food for the Inupiat, Inuvialuit, Hän, and Northern Tutchone. There is currently controversy over whether possible future oil drilling on the coastal plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, encompassing much of the Porcupine caribou calving grounds, will have a severe negative impact on the caribou population or whether the caribou population will grow. Unlike many other Rangifer tarandus subspecies and their ecotypes, the Porcupine herd is stable at relatively high numbers, but the 2013 photo - census was not counted by January 2014. The peak population in 1989 of 178,000 animals was followed by a decline by 2001 to 123,000. However, by 2010, there was a recovery and an increase to 169,000 animals. Many Gwich'in people, who depend on the Porcupine caribou, still follow traditional caribou management practices that include a 1981 prohibition against selling caribou meat and limits on the number of caribou to be taken per hunting trip. All three herds cross the Brooks Range in their annual migrations. The Western Arctic herd reached a low of 75,000 in the mid-1970s. In 1997 the 90,000 WACH changed their migration and wintered on Seward Peninsula where Alaskan reindeer normally wintered. The reindeer, part of the Reindeer Project herds brought north from Siberia via Alaska, joined the WACH on their summer migration and disappeared. The WACH reached a peak of 490,000 in 2003 and then declined to 325,000 in 2011. In 2008, the Teshekpuk Lake herd had 64,107 animals and the Central Arctic herd had 67,000. Reindeer imported to Alaska Reindeer were imported from Siberia in the late 19th century and from Norway in the early 1900s as semi-domesticated livestock in Alaska. Reindeer interbreed with native caribou subspecies. Canada Nunavut The barren - ground caribou subspecies R. t. groenlandicus, a long - distance migrant, includes large herds in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut, for example the Beverly, the Ahiak and Qamanirjuaq herds. In 1996 the population of the Ahiak herd was approximately 250 000 animals. Ahiak, Beverly, Qamanirjuaq herds The Ahiak, Beverly, and Qamanirjuaq herds are barren - ground caribou. The Beverly herd of barren - ground caribou, Thelon River, Nunavut. `` The Beverly herd 's crossing of the Thelon River to its traditional calving grounds near Beverly Lake was part of the lives of the Dene aboriginal people for 8 000 years, as revealed by an unbroken archaeological record of deep layers of caribou bones and stone tools in the banks of the Thelon River ( Gordon 2005 ). '' The Beverly Herd ( located primarily in Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories ; portions in Nunavut, Manitoba, Alberta ) and the Qamanirjuaq Herd ( located primarily in Manitoba, Nunavut ; portions in southeastern NWT, northeastern Saskatchewan ) fall under the auspices of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board. In 2011 the combined Beverly / Ahiak herd in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, had approximately 124,000 caribou -- at least a 50 % drop since 1994 ; the Western caribou herd had 325,000 animals, and the Beverly herd, whose range spans the tundra from northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan and well into the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, had a peak population in 1994 of 276,000 or 294,000 ; but by 2011 there were approximately 124,000 caribou in the Beverly herd and 83,300 in the Ahiak herd. The calving grounds of the Beverly caribou herd are located around Queen Maud Gulf but the herd shifted its traditional birthing area. Caribou management agencies are concerned that deterioration and disturbance of habitat along with `` parasites, predation and poor weather '' are contributing to a cycling down of most caribou populations. It was suggested the Ahiak and Beverly herds switched calving grounds and the Beverly may have moved `` near the western Queen Maud Gulf coast to the north of the herd 's `` traditional '' calving ground in the Gary Lakes area north of Baker Lake. '' The `` Beverly herd may have declined ( similar to other Northwest Territories herds ), and cows switched to the neighbouring Ahiak herd to maintain the advantages of gregarious calving. '' By 2011 there were approximately 124,000 caribou in the combined Beverly / Ahiak herd which represents a `` 50 % or a 75 % decline from the 1994 population estimate for the Beverly Herd. '' Qamanirjuaq caribou herd which is relatively stable had declined from 496,000 in 1994 to 345,000 in 2008. The barren - ground caribou population on Southampton Island, Nunavut declined by almost 75 %, from about 30 000 caribou in 1997 to 7,800 caribou in 2011. Dolphin - Union caribou Main article : Dolphin - Union Caribou The Dolphin - Union Caribou herd, locally known as island caribou, are a migratory population of barren - ground caribou, Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus, that occupy Victoria Island in Canada 's High Arctic and the nearby mainland. They are endemic to Canada. They migrate across the Dolphin and Union Strait from their summer grazing on Victoria Island to their winter grazing area on the Nunavut - NWT mainland in Canada. It is unusual for North American caribou to seasonally cross sea ice and the only other caribou to do so are the Peary caribou who are smaller in size and population. Peary caribou Main article : Peary caribou The Peary caribou is a relatively small and pale subspecies found in the tundra of far northern North America. The R. t. pearyi ( Peary caribou ), the smallest of the species, known as Tuktu in Inuktitut, are found in the High Arctic of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The Peary caribou a Canadian endemic subspecies and appears to be of postglacial origin. They remain at low numbers after severe declines and all populations are listed as endangered by COSEWIC. On Baffin Island, the largest Arctic island, the population of Peary caribou peaked in the early 1990s to approximately 60 000 to 180 000. By 2012, in northern Baffin Island caribou numbers were considered to be at a `` low in the cycle after a high in the 1990s '' and in south Baffin Island, the population was estimated as between 1 065 and 2 067. Northwest Territories There are four barren - ground caribou herds in the Northwest Territories -- Cape Bathurst, Bluenose West, Bluenose East and Bathurst. The Bluenose East caribou herd began a recovery with a population of approximately 122 000 in 2010. which is being credited to the establishment of Tuktut Nogait National Park. According to T. Davison 2010, CARMA 2011, the three other herds `` declined 84 - 93 % from peak sizes in the mid-1980s and 1990s. R. t. Caribou Main article : Boreal woodland caribou The subspecies R. t. caribou commonly known as woodland caribou, is divided into ecotypes : boreal woodland caribou, ( also known as forest - dwelling woodland caribou ), mountain woodland caribou and migratory woodland caribou ). Caribou are classified by ecotype depending on several behavioural factors - predominant habitat use ( northern, tundra, mountain, forest, boreal forest, forest - dwelling ), spacing ( dispersed or aggregated ) and migration ( sedentary or migratory ). In Canada, the national meta - population of the sedentary boreal ecotype spans the boreal forest from the Northwest Territories to Labrador. They prefer lichen - rich mature forests and mainly live in marshes, bogs, lakes, and river regions. The historic range of the boreal woodland caribou covered over half of present - day Canada, stretching from Alaska to Newfoundland and Labrador and as far south as New England, Idaho, and Washington. Woodland caribou have disappeared from most of their original southern range. The boreal woodland was designated as threatened in 2002. In 2011 there were approximately 34 000 boreal caribou in 51 ranges remaining in Canada. George River caribou herd ( GRCH ) Main article : George River ( Quebec ) The migratory George River caribou herd ( GRCH ), in the Ungava region of Quebec and Labrador in eastern Canada was once the world 's largest herd with 800 000 -- 900 000 animals. Although it is categorized as a subspecies Rangifer tarandus caribou, the woodland caribou, the GRCH is migratory and like the barren - ground caribou it 's ecotype may be tundra caribou, Arctic, northern of migratory, not forest - dwelling and sedentary like most woodland caribou ecotypes. It is unlike most woodland caribou in that it is not sedentary. Since the mid-1990s, the herd declined sharply and by 2010, it was reduced to 74,131 -- a drop of up to 92 %. A 2011 survey confirms a continuing decline of the George River migratory caribou herd population. By 2014 the herd was estimated to be about to 14 200 down from 27,600 in 2012, 74 131 in 2010 and 385 000 in 2001. Leaf River caribou herd ( LRCH ) Caribou crossing Leaf River Leaf River and caribou The Leaf River caribou herd ( LRCH ), another migratory forest - tundra ecotype of the boreal woodland caribou, near the coast of Hudson Bay, increased from 270 000 individuals in 1991 to 628 000 in 2001. By 2011 the herd had decreased to 430 000 caribou. According to an international study on caribou populations, the George River and Leaf River herds, and other herds that migrate from Nunavik, Quebec and insular Newfoundland, could be threatened with extinction by 2080. Queen Charlotte islands caribou Main article : Queen Charlotte Islands caribou The extinct Queen Charlotte Islands caribou ( R. t. dawsoni ) from the Queen Charlotte Islands was believed to represent a distinct subspecies. It became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. However, recent DNA analysis from mitochondrial DNA of the remains from those reindeer suggest that the animals from the Queen Charlotte Islands were not genetically distinct from the Canadian mainland reindeer subspecies. Alberta In Alberta 's northwestern foothills, an area disturbed by decades of industrial development by the energy industry, the federal government set a target of leaving 65 % of the habitat of the Little Smoky and a la Peche caribou herds undisturbed. By 2014 only 5 % of their habitat remained undisturbed ; the rest was crisscrossed with 16,000 kilometres of seismic lines cut for industry - related geological research in one 13,000 square kilometres section alone of these foothills. and with bush roads, access roads connecting clearcuts and well pads. While clearly visible from an aerial view - such as is provided by Google Earth - and from the back roads, the deforestation and devastation is veiled by a curtain of forest that runs along the highways. Caribou depend on the cover of the forest for protection from wolf predation but the seismic lines destroy the places they usually hide. Wolves usually prefer to hunt moose and deer than the elusive, stealthy and fast - running caribou and their natural and ancient hunter / predator relationship was managed by the ecosystem itself. But seismic lines have destroyed the advantage they once had. Federal and provincial governments concerned about sustainable development and restoration, are waiting for the conclusion of the three - year study ( 2014 - 2017 ) undertaken by the Foothills Research Institute in Hinton, Alberta on human and animal land use in this area. This study has already shown that the height of vegetation on the seismic trails may be one of the most contributing factors. As the height of vegetation decreased, the number of human motorized use - snowmobiles, Quads and ATV for example - increased. The lower the vegetation the harder it was for caribou to evade wolves. According to the Alberta Caribou Committee, new and innovative industrial methods at the time of development will prevent degradation of habitat. For example, habitat is restored more rapidly with narrow ( 1.5 - 2.5 ) meandering seismic lines than traditional wide ( 8 - m ) straight lines. It is now possible to reduce or eliminate roads by using remote monitoring techniques for some types of oil and gas well sites. Conservation and recovery Ongoing human development of caribou habitat has caused populations of woodland caribou to disappear from their original southern range. In particular, caribou were extirpated in many areas of eastern North America in the beginning of the 20th century. Woodland caribou were designated as threatened in 2002. Environment Canada reported in 2011 that there were approximately 34,000 boreal caribou in 51 ranges remaining in Canada ( Environment Canada, 2011b ). Professor Marco Musiani of the University of Calgary, said in a statement that `` The woodland caribou is already an endangered species in southern Canada and the United States... ( The ) warming of the planet means the disappearance of their critical habitat in these regions. Caribou need undisturbed lichen - rich environments and these types of habitats are disappearing. '' Woodland caribou have disappeared from most of their original southern range and were designated as threatened in 2002 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC ). Environment Canada reported in 2011 that there were approximately 34 000 boreal caribou in 51 ranges remaining in Canada. ( Environment Canada, 2011b ). `` According to Geist, the `` woodland caribou is highly endangered throughout its distribution right into Ontario. '' In 2002 the Atlantic - Gaspésie population of the woodland caribou was designated as endangered by COSEWIC. The small isolated population of 200 animals was at risk from predation and habitat loss. In 1991 COSEWIC assigned `` endangered status '' to the Banks Island and High Arctic populations of Peary caribou. The Low Arctic population of Peary caribou was designated as threatened. By 2004 all three were designated as `` endangered. '' In spite of voluntary hunting quotas -- for example in Sachs Harbour -- This caribou is a Canadian endemic subspecies. Numbers have declined by about 72 % over the last three generations, mostly because of catastrophic die - off likely related to severe icing episodes. The ice covers the vegetation and caribou starve. Voluntary restrictions on hunting by local people are in place, but have not stopped population declines. Because of the continuing decline and expected changes in long - term weather patterns, this subspecies is at imminent risk of extinction. -- COSEWIC 2004 According to IUCN Rangifer tarandus as a species is not endangered because of its overall large population and the widespread range. However, in North America subspecies R. t. dawsoni is extinct. R. t. pearyi is endangered, R. t. caribou are designated as threatened and some individual populations are endangered. While the subspecies R. t. granti and R. t. groenlandicus are not designated as threatened, many individual herds -- including some of the largest -- are declining and there is much concern at the local level. Rangifer tarandus is `` endangered in Canada in regions such as south - east British Columbia at the Canadian - USA border, along the Columbia, Kootenay and Kootenai rivers and around Kootenay Lake. Rangifer tarandus is endangered in the United States in Idaho and Washington. There is strong regional variation in Rangifer herd size, By 2013 many caribou herds in North America had `` unusually low numbers '' and their winter ranges in particular were smaller than they used to be. Caribou numbers have fluctuated historically, but many herds are in decline across their range. There are many factors contributing to the decline in numbers. Relationship with humans Humans started hunting caribou in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. Rangifer tarandus hunting by humans has a very long history, and they `` may well be the species of single greatest importance in the entire anthropological literature on hunting. '' `` In North America and Eurasia the species has long been an important resource -- in many areas ' the ' most important resource -- for peoples inhabiting the northern boreal forest and tundra regions. Known human dependence on caribou / wild reindeer has a long history, beginning in the Middle Pleistocene and continuing to the present... The caribou / wild reindeer is thus an animal that has been a major resource for humans throughout a tremendous geographic area and across a time span of tens of thousands of years. '' In the traditional lifestyle of the Inuit people, in particular the Caribou Inuit, Northern First Nations people, Alaska Natives, the caribou is an important source of food, clothing, shelter, and tools. The caribou vadzaih is the cultural symbol and a keystone subsistence species of the Gwich'in, just as the buffalo is to the Plains Indians. Innovative language revitalization projects are underway to document the language, and to enhance the writing and translation skills of younger Gwich'in speakers. In one project lead research associate and fluent speaker Gwich'in elder, Kenneth Frank, works with linguists which include young Gwich'in speakers affiliated with the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks to document traditional knowledge of caribou anatomy. Elders have identified at least 150 descriptive Gwich'in names for all of the bones, organs, and tissues `` Associated with the caribou 's anatomy are not just descriptive Gwich'in names for all of the body parts including bones, organs, and tissues as well as `` an encyclopedia of stories, songs, games, toys, ceremonies, traditional tools, skin clothing, personal names and surnames, and a highly developed ethnic cuisine. '' First Nations and Inuit oral histories There is an Inuit saying from the Kivalliq region, The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong. -- Kivalliq region Elder Chief of Koyukuk and chair for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, Benedict Jones or K'ughto'oodenool'o ' represents the Middle Yukon River, Alaska. His grandmother was a member of the Caribou Clan, who travelled with the caribou as a means to survive. In 1939, they were living the traditional life style at one of their hunting camps in Koyukuk near the location of what is now the Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge. His grandmother made a pair of new mukluks in one day. K'ughto'oodenool'o ' recounted story told by an elder, who `` worked on the steamboats during the gold rush days out on the Yukon. '' In late August the caribou migrated from the Alaska Range up north to Huslia, Koyukuk, and the Tanana area. One year the steamboat was unable to continue they ran into a caribou herd numbering estimated at a million animals, migrating across the Yukon. `` They tied up for seven days waiting for the caribou to cross. `` They ran out of wood for the steamboats, and had to go back down 40 miles to the wood pile to pick up some more wood. On the tenth day, they came back and they said there was still caribou going across the river night and day. '' In mythology and art Among the Inuit, there is a story of the origin of the caribou, Once upon a time there were no caribou on the earth. But there was a man who wished for caribou, and he cut a hole deep in the ground, and up this hole came caribou, many caribou. The caribou came pouring out, until the earth was almost covered with them. And when the man thought there were caribou enough for mankind, he closed up the hole again. Thus the caribou came up on earth. -- Canada 's Arctic 2002a Inuit artists from the barren lands, incorporate depictions of caribou -- and items made from caribou antler and skin -- in carvings, drawings, prints and sculpture. Contemporary Canadian artist Brian Jungen 's, of Dunne - za First Nations ancestry, commissioned installation entitled `` The ghosts on top of my head '' ( 2010 -- 11 ) in Banff, Alberta, depicts the antlers of caribou, elk and moose. I remember a story my Uncle Jack told me -- a Dunne - Za creation story about how animals once ruled the earth and were ten times their size and that got me thinking about scale and using the idea of the antler, which is a thing that everyone is scared of, and making it into something more approachable and abstract. -- Brian Jungen 2011 Tomson Highway, CM is a Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children 's author, who was born in a remote area north of Brochet, Manitoba. His father, Joe Highway, was a caribou hunter. His 2001 children 's book entitled Caribou Song / atíhko níkamon was selected as one of the `` Top 10 Children 's Books '' by the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail. The young protagonists of Caribou Song, like Tomson himself, followed the caribou herd with their families. Canadian icon The Canadian 25 - cent coin, or `` quarter '' features a depiction of a caribou on one face. The caribou is the official provincial animal of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and appears on the coat of arms of Nunavut. A caribou statue was erected at the center of the Beaumont - Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, marking the spot in France where hundreds of soldiers from Newfoundland were killed and wounded in the First World War and there is a replica in Bowring Park, in St. John 's, Newfoundland 's capital city. The caribou is also the symbol of Newfoundland 's Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band founded in 2009. As noted above, the word caribou is derived from the Mi'kmaw term qalipu ( prounced kah - li - bu ). See also List of Wildlife Species at Risk ( Canada ) Rangifer ( journal ) Rangifer ( constellation ) Hypoderma tarandi Cephenemyia trompe Notes Jump up ^ According to Inuit elder, Marie Kilunik of the Aivilingmiut, Canadian Inuit preferred the caribou skins from caribou taken in the late summer of fall when their coats had thickened. They used for winter clothing `` because each hair is hollow and fills with air trapping heat. '' ( Marie Kilunik, Aivilingmiut, Crnkovich 1990 : 116 ). Jump up ^ The Integrated Taxonomic Information System list Wilson and Geist on their experts panel. Jump up ^ The George River and Leaf River caribou herds are classified as woodland but are also migratory with tundra as their primary range Jump up ^ Grubb ( 2005 ) argued that these North American the R. t. dawsoni subspecies in the woodland caribou division, that the R. t. osborni subspecies in the `` Populations transitional between caribou and tarandus division '' and the subspecies R. t. caboti, R. t. groenlandicus, R. t. pearsoni and R. t. terraenovae in the Tarandus division, barren - ground caribou and the subspecies R. t. pearyi in the Platyrhynchus division should be considered valid based on Banfield ( Banfield ) and considerably modified by Geist ( 1998 ). Banfield rejected this classification in 1961. However, Valerius Geist and others considered it valid. Further reading `` Caribou Census Complete : 325,000 animals '' ( PDF ), Caribou Trails : News from the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, Nome, Alaska : Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, August 2012, retrieved 14 January 2014 This 15 page well - illustrated and highly informative August 2012 edition of the Western Arctic Caribou organization newsletter, reported the 2011 census results of the WACH, which is Alaska 's largest caribou herd. Citations ^ Jump up to : Gunn, A. ( 2016 ). `` Rangifer tarandus ''. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2016 : e. T29742A22167140. Retrieved 6 December 2016. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) ^ Jump up to : Cronin, MacNeil & Patton 2005. ^ Jump up to : Klein 1980. ^ Jump up to : Eder 2011, p. 81. ^ Jump up to : Grubb 2005. ^ Jump up to : Nunatsiaq News 2013. ^ Jump up to : Campbell 2010. ^ Jump up to : McCloskey 2011, p. 76. ^ Jump up to : COSEWIC 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Provincial Government Provides Update on George River Caribou Herd '', Department of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland, 14 August 2014, retrieved 2 January 2015 ^ Jump up to : CPAWSNWT 2010. ^ Jump up to : Natural Resources Canada 2000, p. 14. ^ Jump up to : Culling & Culling 2006, p. 1. Jump up ^ Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and The David Suzuki Foundation 2013. ^ Jump up to : Hoare 2009. Jump up ^ Canadian Geographic 2007. ^ Jump up to : Bergerud 2014. ^ Jump up to : First Voices 2014. ^ Jump up to : COSEWIC 2011, p. 3. Jump up ^ COSEWIC 2011, p. 10. Jump up ^ Kavanagh 2005. Jump up ^ Marc L'escarbot ( 1610 ) Conversion des Sauvages qui ont esté baptizés en la Nouvelle France. Chez Jean Millot, Paris ( in French ) Jump up ^ Rand 2006. Jump up ^ Rand 1888, p. 98. Jump up ^ Spalding 1998. ^ Jump up to : `` Naskapi ''. Ethnologue.com. Jump up ^ `` Our Community '', Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, n.d. ^ Jump up to : Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group 2012. Jump up ^ `` FirstVoices : Hän : words ''. Jump up ^ Bennett 2008, p. 63. Jump up ^ syllabics & Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group 2012. ^ Jump up to : SARA 2014. Jump up ^ Cameron, Raymond D. ( 1994 - 02 - 18 ). `` Reproductive Pauses by Female Caribou ''. Journal of Mammalogy. 75 ( 1 ) : 10 -- 13. ISSN 0022 - 2372. doi : 10.2307 / 1382230. ^ Jump up to : Dugmore 1913. ^ Jump up to : Naughton 2011, p. 567. ^ Jump up to : Canada 's Arctic 2002. ^ Jump up to : Reid 2006. Jump up ^ Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society ( CPAWS ) 2004. Jump up ^ Thomas & Gray 2002. ^ Jump up to : `` Caribou '', Virtual Wildlife, Lethbridge, Alberta ^ Jump up to : Thing 1986, p. 297. Jump up ^ Smith 1998. Jump up ^ Mahoney 2011. Jump up ^ Mahoney 2011, p. 24. Jump up ^ Markusson & Folstad 1997. Jump up ^ Thomas & Barry 2005. ^ Jump up to : Environment Canada 2012, p. 2. ^ Jump up to : Geist 2007, p. 25. Jump up ^ NWT 2012. Jump up ^ Gunn & Seal 1998. ^ Jump up to : Gillis 2013. ^ Jump up to : Benson 2011. ^ Jump up to : Caribou at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. Adfg.state.ak.us. Retrieved on 2011 - 09 - 16. ^ Jump up to : Bennett 2008, p. 116. Jump up ^ Moote 1955. Jump up ^ Banfield 1974. Jump up ^ Environment Canada 2011. ^ Jump up to : Banfield 1966. Jump up ^ Project Caribou nd. Jump up ^ Rahiman 2009. ^ Jump up to : Blix & Johnsen 1983. Jump up ^ Shackleton 2013. Jump up ^ McCloskey 2011, p. 73. Jump up ^ Karasov, W.H. and Martinez del Rio, C. 2007. The Chemistry and Biology of Food in Physiological Ecology : How Animals Process Energy, Nutrients, and Toxins ( pp. 49 - 108 ). ^ Jump up to : Allaye Chan - McLeod AC, White RG, Russell DE. 1999. Comparative body composition strategies of breeding and nonbreeding female caribou. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 77 ( 12 ) : 1901 - 1907 Jump up ^ Wilmer, Pat ; Stone, Graham ; Johnston, Ian ( 2009 ). Environmental Physiology of Animals. Wiley. pp. 645 - 663. ISBN 9781405107242. Jump up ^ Joly, K., Wasser, S.K., & Booth, R. 2015. Non-invasive assessment of the interrelationships of diet, pregnancy rate, group composition, and physiological and nutritional stress of barren - ground caribou in late winter. PLOS ONE, 10 ( 6 ). Jump up ^ Caribou Migration Monitoring by Satellite Telemetry Archived 14 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine... Mrnf.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved on 2011 - 09 - 16. Jump up ^ Bergerud 1988. Jump up ^ Hoare 2009, p. 45. Jump up ^ Sommer, R.S. ; Nadachowski, A. ( 2006 ), `` Glacial refugia of mammals in Europe : evidence from fossil records '', Mammal Review, 36 ( 4 ) : 251 -- 265, doi : 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2907.2006. 00093. x Jump up ^ Duffy, Michael S. ; Nathan J. Keppie ; Michael D.B. Burt ( 2002 ). `` Meningeal Worm is a Long - lived Parasitic Nematode in White - tailed Deer ''. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 38 ( 2 ) : 448 -- 452. PMID 12038147. doi : 10.7589 / 0090 - 3558 - 38.2. 448. Jump up ^ Smith, M.C. ; et al. ( 1994 ). `` Goat Medicine ''. Lea & Febiger. 150. Jump up ^ `` '' Brain Worm '' ( Meningeal Worm ) Infestation in Llamas and Alpacas ``. University of Tennessee. Retrieved 2013 - 11 - 14. Jump up ^ Naughton 2011. ^ Jump up to : Naughton 2011, p. 562. ^ Jump up to : Seip 1992. ^ Jump up to : Hervieux et al. 2005, p. 7. Jump up ^ Latham 2011. ^ Jump up to : Bergerud 1996. Jump up ^ Mahoney 2011, p. 22. Jump up ^ Bergerud 1980. Jump up ^ Zager, MillsWakkinen & Tallm nd. Jump up ^ Bergerud 1974. Jump up ^ Bergerud 1978. Jump up ^ Edmonds 1988. Jump up ^ McLoughlin 2003. Jump up ^ Dyer 2001. Jump up ^ Dyer 2002. Jump up ^ James 1999. Jump up ^ James & Stuart - Smith 2001. Jump up ^ Foster & Harris 2012. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 2014 - 01 - 17. ^ Jump up to : Witter et al. 2012. Jump up ^ Vors 2013. ^ Jump up to : Banfield 1961. Jump up ^ Geist 1998. Jump up ^ Wilson & Reeder 2005. ^ Jump up to : Geist 2007. Jump up ^ Integrated Taxonomic Information System ( ITIS ) 2013. ^ Jump up to : Mallory & Hillis 1998, p. 49. ^ Jump up to : Flagstad 2003. Jump up ^ Yannic 2014. Jump up ^ Hoag 2013. Jump up ^ COSEWIC 2011, p. 16. ^ Jump up to : Grubb, P. ( 2005 ). Wilson, D.E. ; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World : A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference ( 3rd ed. ). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8018 - 8221 - 0. OCLC 62265494. ^ Jump up to : Festa - Bianchet et al. 2011. ^ Jump up to : Mager 2012. ^ Jump up to : Campbell, Cora ( 2 March 2011 ), Porcupine Caribou Herd shows growth, Press release ( 99811 ), Juneau, Alaska : Alaska Department of Fish and Game Jump up ^ Gwich'in Council International ( GCI ) 2010. ^ Jump up to : Russell & Gunn 2013. Jump up ^ Arctic Circle nd. Jump up ^ Tim Querengesser. `` Maisonneuve - The Curse of the Deer ''. Maisonneuve. Jump up ^ Parrett, L.S. ( 2009 ), `` Unit 26A. Teshekpuk caribou herd '', in Harper, Caribou Management report of survey and inventory activities : 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2008 ( Project 3. ), Juneau, Alaska : Alaska Department of Fish and game, pp. 271 -- 298 first1 = missing last1 = in Editors list ( help ) Jump up ^ Lenart, E.A. ( 2009 ), `` Units 26B and 26C Caribou '', in Harper, P., Caribou Management report of survey and inventory activities 1 July 2006 - 30 June 2008, Juneau, Alaska : Alaska Department of Fish and Game, pp. 299 -- 325 Jump up ^ King, Irving H. ( 1996 ). The Coast Guard Expands, p. 86 -- 91. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 1 - 55750 - 458 - X. Jump up ^ United States. Bureau of Education ; United States. Bureau of Education. Alaska Division ( 1905 ). Annual report on introduction of domestic reindeer into Alaska. 14. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 18 --. Retrieved 16 September 2011. Jump up ^ Gordon, B.C. ( 2005 ), `` 8000 years of caribou and human seasonal migration in the Canadian Barrenlands '', Rangifer, Special Issue ( 16 ) : 155 -- 162 Jump up ^ Gunn & Russell 2013. Jump up ^ `` The caribou herds ''. arctic-caribou.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 2008 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Varga 2013a. Jump up ^ CBC 2008. Jump up ^ `` Researchers investigate decline of Beverly caribou herd : Population dropped by half over 20 - year period '', CBC News, 20 June 2013, retrieved 27 December 2013 ^ Jump up to : Varga 2013. Jump up ^ George, Jane ( 30 November 2011 ), `` Beverly caribou have been on the move, wildlife biologist says : The herd, now calving on the Queen Maud Gulf coast, is `` robust '' and not near extinction ``, Nunatsiaq News, retrieved 27 December 2013 Jump up ^ Campbell, M., J. Boulanger, D.S. Lee, M. Dumond. and J. McPherson, 2012 : Calving ground abundance estimates of the Beverly and Ahiak subpopulations of barren - ground caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus ) -- June 2011. Technical summary to be replaced by Technical Report Series, No. 03 - 2012, Government of Nunavut. 111 pp Jump up ^ Campbell, M., J. Boulanger, and D. Lee, unpublished : Demographic Effects of an Outbreak of Brucella suis On Island Bound Barren - Ground Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus ) Southampton Island Nunavut. Unpublished data presented at the 13th Arctic Ungulate Conference, 22 -- 26 August 2011, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada ^ Jump up to : GNWT, Species at Risk in the Northwest Territories 2012 ( PDF ), Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7708 - 0196 - 0, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 24 September 2015, retrieved 31 October 2014 Jump up ^ `` COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Peary Caribou Rangifer tarandus pearyi and Barren - ground Caribou Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus Dolphin and Union population in Canada '' ( PDF ), COSEWIC, May 2004, ISBN 0 - 662 - 37375 - 8, retrieved 1 November 2014 Jump up ^ Poole, Kim G. ; Patterson, Brent R. ; Dumond, Mathieu ( December 2010 ), `` Sea Ice and Migration of the Dolphin and Union Caribou Herd in the Canadian Arctic : An Uncertain Future '' ( PDF ), Arctic, 63 ( 4 ) : 414 -- 428, doi : 10.14430 / arctic3331, retrieved 31 October 2014 Jump up ^ Ferguson, M.A.D. ; Gauthier, L. ( 1992 ). `` Status and trends of Rangifer tarandus and Ovibos moschatus in Canada ''. Rangifer. 12 : 127 -- 141. doi : 10.7557 / 2.12. 3.1017. Jump up ^ Jenkins, D.A., J. Goorts, and N. Lecomte. Cited 2012 : Estimating the Abundance of South Baffin Caribou Summary Report 2012. Unpublished Report, Estimating the Abundance of South Baffin Caribou Summary Report 2012 Archived 16 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ ( Adamczewski, J., J. Boulanger, B. Croft, T. Davison, H. Sayine - Crawford, and B. Tracz, In preparation : A Comparison of Calving and Post-calving Photo - surveys for the Bluenose - East Herd of Barren - ground Caribou in the Northwest Territories, Canada in 2010. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Manuscript Report No. 245, 62 pp. ) Jump up ^ N.W.T. park may be contributing to caribou herd recovery : Bluenose West herd has seen first increase in size in 20 years CBC News. 19 December 2012 Jump up ^ `` Caribou '', CPAWSNWT, Yellowknife, NWT : Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Northwest Territories Chapter, 2010, retrieved 19 December 2013 Jump up ^ `` State of Canada 's Forests 1999 - 2000 : Forests in the New Millennium '' ( PDF ), Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 2000, ISBN 0 - 662 - 29069 - 0, retrieved 19 December 2013 Jump up ^ Culling, Diane E. ; Culling, Brad A. ( May 2006 ), Ecology and seasonal habitat selection of boreal caribou in the Snake - Sahtaneh watershed, British Columbia : 2000 to 2004 ( PDF ), Fort St. John, British Columbia, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 21 December 2013, retrieved 19 December 2013 Jump up ^ `` Population Critical : How are Caribou Faring ? '' ( PDF ), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and The David Suzuki Foundation, December 2013, retrieved 17 December 2013 Jump up ^ `` Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ), Boreal population, in Canada '' ( PDF ), Environment Canada, Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series, Ottawa, Ontario, p. 138, 2012, ISBN 978 - 1 - 100 - 20769 - 8, retrieved 18 December 2013 Jump up ^ Wildlife Division Government of Newfoundland 2009. Jump up ^ Couturier et al. 2004. Jump up ^ Nunatsiaq News 2011. Jump up ^ Nunatsiaq News 2013a. ^ Jump up to : S.A. Byun ; B.F. Koop ; T.E. Reimchen ( 2002 ). `` Evolution of the Dawson caribou ( Rangifer tarandus dawsoni ) ''. Can. J. Zool. 80 ( 5 ) : 956 -- 960. doi : 10.1139 / z02 - 062. ^ Jump up to : CBC 2014. Jump up ^ Sorensen et al. 2008, p. 904. ^ Jump up to : Environment Canada 2012, p. 9. Jump up ^ Zielinski 2013. ^ Jump up to : COSEWIC 2013. Jump up ^ Peter Gravlund ; Morten Meldgaard ; Svante Pääbo ; Peter Arctander ( 1998 ), `` Polyphyletic Origin of the Small - Bodied, High - Arctic Subspecies of Tundra Reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ) '', Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 10 ( 2 ) : 151 -- 9, PMID 9878226, doi : 10.1006 / mpev. 1998.0525 Jump up ^ Walker 2009. Jump up ^ Vors & Boyce 2009. ^ Jump up to : Burch Jr 1972. Jump up ^ Banfield 1961, p. 170. Jump up ^ Kurtén 1968, p. 170. ^ Jump up to : Mishler, Craig ( 2014 ), `` Linguistic Team Studies Caribou Anatomy '', Arctic Research Consortium of the United States ( ARCOS ), retrieved 11 January 2015 Jump up ^ McCloskey, 2011 & page 73. Jump up ^ Canada 's Arctic 2002a. Jump up ^ Hornsby 2011. Jump up ^ Brian Jungen 2011 ^ Jump up to : Tomson Highway at The Canadian Encyclopedia. Jump up ^ Allan Hawco, Mark Critch to trace steps of Newfoundland Regiment in new documentary, Globe and Mail References `` Gwich'in Traditional Management Practices '', Arctic Circle, University of Connecticut, n.d., retrieved 16 September 2011 `` Caribou Mountains '', Alberta Wilderness, Alberta Wilderness Association, retrieved 19 December 2013 Banfield, Alexander William Francis ( 1961 ), `` A Revision of the Reindeer and Caribou, Genus Rangifer '', Bulletin, Biological Services, National Museum of Canada, 177 ( 66 ) Bergerud, Arthur T. ( 1974 ), `` Decline of caribou in North America following settlement '', Journal of Wildlife Management, 38 : 757 -- 770, doi : 10.2307 / 3800042 Bergerud, Arthur T. ( 1978 ), `` Caribou '', in Schmidt, J.L. ; Gilbert, D.L., Big game of North America : ecology and management, Harrison, PA. : Stackpole Books, pp. 83 -- 101 Bergerud, Arthur T. ( 1980 ) ( 1979 ), `` A review of the population dynamics of caribou and wild reindeer in North America '', in Reimers, E. ; Gaare, E. ; Skjenneberg, S., Report of Proceedings Second International Reindeer / Caribou Symposium 1979, Roros, Norway, pp. 556 -- 581 Bergerud, Arthur T. ( 1988 ), `` Caribou, wolves, and man '', Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 3 : 68 -- 72, PMID 21227095, doi : 10.1016 / 0169 - 5347 ( 88 ) 90019 - 5 Bergerud, Arthur T. ( 1996 ), `` Evolving Perspectives on Caribou Population Dynamics, Have We Got it Right Yet ? '', Rangifer, Special Issue ( 9 ) : 59 -- 115 Bergerud, Arthur T. ; Luttich, Stuart N. ; Camps, Lodewijk ( December 2007 ), The Return of Caribou to Ungava, Native and Northern Series ( 50 ), McGill - Queen 's, p. 656, ISBN 9780773532335, retrieved 16 December 2013 Banfield, Alexander William Francis ( 1966 ), `` The caribou '', in Smith, I.N., The Unbelievable Land, Ottawa : Queen 's Press, pp. 25 -- 28 Banfield, Alexander William Francis ( 1974 ), Mammals of Canada, Toronto, Ontario : University of Toronto Press, p. 438 Benson, Kristi ( 31 March 2011 ), `` Gwich'in Traditional Knowledge : Woodland Caribou, Boreal Population '' ( PDF ), Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute, retrieved 2 November 2014 Bennett, John ( 1 June 2008 ), Uqalurait : An Oral History of Nunavut, McGill - Queen 's Native and Northern Series, McGill - Queen 's University Press Bergerud, Arthur T. ( 1988 ), `` Caribou, wolves, and man '', Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 3 : 68 -- 72, PMID 21227095, doi : 10.1016 / 0169 - 5347 ( 88 ) 90019 - 5 Bergerud, A.T. ( 29 April 2014 ), Caribou, The Canadian Encyclopedia, retrieved 3 September 2014 Blix, A.S. ; Johnsen, Helge Kreiitzer ( 1983 ), `` Aspects of nasal heat exchange in resting reindeer '', Journal of Physiology, 340 : 445 -- 454 Boan, Julee ( Spring 2005 ), `` Caribou continue to retreat '', ON Nature, 10 Boan, Julee ( n.d. ), `` The last of the caribou '', Ontario Nature Burch Jr, Ernest S. ( 1972 ). `` The Caribou / Wild Reindeer as a Human Resource ''. American Antiquity. 37 ( 3 ) : 339 -- 368. JSTOR 278435. doi : 10.2307 / 278435. Campbell, M. ; Nishi, J. ; Boulanger, J. ( 2010 ), A calving ground photo survey of the Qamanirjuaq migratory barren - ground caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus ) `` Tuktu -- Caribou '', Canada 's Arctic, Guelph, Ontario, 2002, retrieved 17 January 2014 `` Tuktu -- Caribou '', Canada 's Arctic, Guelph, Ontario, 2002a, retrieved 17 January 2014 `` Caribou habitat in Alberta ravaged beyond repair ''. CBC News. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014. `` Caribou : In - depth '', Canadian Geographic, November -- December 2007 `` Gray Ghosts : Can we save woodland caribou in Canada 's boreal forest ? '' ( PDF ), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society ( CPAWS ), Ottawa, Ontario, October 2004, retrieved 17 January 2014 `` Population Critical : How are Caribou Faring ? '' ( PDF ), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and The David Suzuki Foundation, December 2013, retrieved 17 December 2013 Kavanagh, Maureen, ed. ( 2005 ) ( 1985 ), `` Hinterland Who 's Who '', Canadian Wildlife Service / EC, ISBN 0 - 662 - 39659 - 6, archived from the original on 24 December 2013, retrieved 21 December 2013 `` Another caribou herd in steep decline : study '', CBC, 1 December 2008, retrieved 27 December 2013 Chisholm, B. ; Gutsche, A ( 1998 ), Superior : Under the Shadow of the Gods, Toronto : Lynx Images, ISBN 0 - 9698427 - 7 - 5 `` Designatable Units for Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) in Canada '' ( PDF ), COSEWIC, Ottawa, Ontario : Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, p. 88, 2011, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 3 March 2016, retrieved 18 December 2013 `` Subcommittees '', COSEWIC, Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, 2004, retrieved 16 January 2014 Courtois, Rehaume ; Ouellet, Jean - Pierre ; Gingras, André ; Dussault, Claude ; Breton, Laurier ; Maltais, Jean ( 2003 ), `` Historical Changes and Current Distribution of Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, in Quebec '', Canadian Field - Naturalist, 117 ( 3 ) : 399 -- 414 Courtois, Rehaume ; Bernatchez, Louis ; Ouellet, Jean - Pierre ; Breton, Laurier ( 2003 ), `` Significance of caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) ecotypes from a molecular genetics viewpoint '' ( PDF ), Conservation Genetics, 4 : 393 -- 404, doi : 10.1023 / a : 1024033500799, retrieved 18 December 2013 `` Caribou '', CPAWSNWT, Yellowknife, NWT : Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Northwest Territories Chapter, 2010, retrieved 19 December 2013 Cronin, Matthew A. ; MacNeil, M.D. ; Patton, J.C. ( 2005 ), `` Variation in Mitochondrial DNA and Microsatellite DNA in Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) in North America '' ( PDF ), Journal of Mammalogy, 86 ( 3 ) : 495 -- 05., doi : 10.1644 / 1545 - 1542 ( 2005 ) 86 ( 495 : vimdam ) 2.0.co ; 2, retrieved 17 December 2013 Cronin, Matthew A. ( 1992 ), `` Intraspecific variation in mitochondrial DNA of North American cervids '', Journal of Mammalogy, 73 : 70 -- 82, doi : 10.2307 / 1381867 Couturier, S. ; Jean, D. ; Otto, R. ; Rivard, S. ( 2004 ), Demography of the migratory tundra caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) of the Nord - du - québec region and Labrador ( PDF ), Québec : Ministère des Ressources Naturelles, de la Faune et des Parcs, Québec, and Direction de la recherche sur la faune, p. 68, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 20 December 2013 Culling, Diane E. ; Culling, Brad A. ( May 2006 ), Ecology and seasonal habitat selection of boreal caribou in the Snake - Sahtaneh watershed, British Columbia : 2000 to 2004 ( PDF ), Fort St. John, British Columbia, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 21 December 2013, retrieved 19 December 2013 de Souza, Mike ( 16 August 2013 ), Disappearing species and enforcement warnings to oil company flagged in federal records, o. canada Dugmore, Arthur Radclyffe ( 1913 ), The romance of the Newfoundland caribou, Philadelphia : Lippincott, p. 191, retrieved 2 November 2014 Full - text. Eder, Tamara ; Kennedy, Gregory ( 2011 ), Mammals of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta : Lone Pine, ISBN 978 - 1 - 55105 - 857 - 3 Edmonds, E.J. ( 1988 ), `` Population status, distribution and movements of woodland caribou in west central Alberta '', Canadian Journal of Zoology, 66 : 817 -- 826, doi : 10.1139 / z88 - 121 Edmonds, Janet, `` Status of woodland caribou in western north America '', Rangifer, Edson, Alberta : Alberta Fish and Wildlife ( Special Issue 7 ) : 91 -- 107 Ehrlich, Paul R. ( January 2002 ), `` Human natures, nature conservation, and environmental ethics '' ( PDF ), BioScience, Stanford University, 52 ( 1 ) : 31 -- 43, doi : 10.1641 / 0006 - 3568 ( 2002 ) 052 ( 0031 : hnncae ) 2.0.co ; 2, retrieved 15 December 2013 `` Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ), Boreal population, in Canada '' ( PDF ), Environment Canada, Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series, Ottawa, Ontario, p. 138, 2012, ISBN 978 - 1 - 100 - 20769 - 8, retrieved 18 December 2013 `` Boreal Caribou Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge ( ATK ) Reports : 2010 - 2011 '', Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, June 2011 `` Cumulative Effects Management System ( CEMS ) '', Environment and Sustainable Resource Development ( ESRD ), Edmonton, Alberta, archived from the original on 25 February 2014 `` Evaluation of Programs and Activities in Support of the Species at Risk Act '' ( PDF ), Environment Canada, 24 September 2012, retrieved 27 December 2013 `` Briefing notes for meeting with Paul Boothe, DM and Mike Norton of Environment Canada and Gord Lambert, VP of Suncor '', Environment Canada, Environment Canada meeting with Suncor, Calgary, Alberta : Scribd ( DM 156431 ), p. 15, 11 May 2012 `` Canada - Alberta Deputy Ministers meeting on regulatory improvement '', ER, Briefing notes, Ottawa, Ontario ( DM - 153229 ), p. 9, February 2013 `` Conserving Woodland Caribou : The Benchmark for Northern Sustainability '', Reconciling our Priorities, ECO Annual Report, 2006 - 07, Toronto, Ontario : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 2007, pp. 75 -- 81, retrieved 15 December 2013 Reconciling our Priorities ( PDF ), ECO Annual Report, 2006 - 07, Toronto, Ontario : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 4 December 2007, pp. 75 -- 81, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 17 December 2013, retrieved 15 December 2013 Festa - Bianchet, M. ; Ray, J.C. ; Boutin, S. ; Côté, S.D. ; Gunn, A. ; et al. ( 2011 ), `` Conservation of Caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) in Canada : An Uncertain Future '', Canadian Journal of Zoology, 89 : 419 -- 434, doi : 10.1139 / z11 - 025 `` Vuntut Gwich'in '', First Voices, 2001 -- 2013, retrieved 17 January 2014 Flagstad, Oystein ; Røed, Knut H ( 2003 ), `` Refugial origins of reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus L ) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences '' ( PDF ), Evolution, 57 ( 3 ) : 658 -- 670, PMID 12703955, doi : 10.1554 / 0014 - 3820 ( 2003 ) 057 ( 0658 : roorrt ) 2.0.co ; 2, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 4 September 2006, retrieved 4 January 2013 * Foster, Robert F. ; Harris, Allan G. ( 19 July 2012 ), Environmental Assessment for the Marathon PGM - Cu Project at Marathon, Ontario ( PDF ), Supporting Information Document No. 26 : Assessment of impacts on Woodland Caribou, Thunder Bay, Ontario : Stillwater Canada Inc., retrieved 23 September 2014 Geist, Valerius ( 1998 ), Deer of the world : their evolution, behavior, and ecology, Mechanicsburg, PA : Stackpole Books Geist, Valerius ( 2007 ), `` Defining subspecies, invalid taxonomic tools, and the fate of the woodland caribou '', Rangifer, The Eleventh North American Caribou Workshop ( 2006 ) ( Special Issue 17 ) : 25 -- 28, retrieved 17 December 2013 George, Jane ( 25 May 2011 ), Nunavik caribou numbers in rapid free - fall : George River herd drops by 80 per cent, Nunavik, retrieved 17 December 2013 Gillis, Natalie ( 2013 ), Separation Anxiety for Woodland Caribou, Canadian Wildlife Federation, archived from the original on 19 December 2013, retrieved 18 December 2013 Gilbert, C. ; Ropiquet, A. ; Hassanin, A. ( 2006 ), `` Mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies of Cervidae ( Mammalia, Ruminantia ) : Systematics, morphology, and biogeography '', Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 40 : 101 -- 117, PMID 16584894, doi : 10.1016 / j. ympev. 2006.02. 017 Godwin, L. ( n.d. ), Woodland Caribou in Northwestern Ontario Why they are different... ( PDF ), Northwestern Ontario Boreal Forest Management Technical Note TN - 07, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, retrieved 19 December 2013 Grubb, Peter ( 2005 ), Rangifer tarandus, Smithsonian : National Museum of Natural History, retrieved 15 January 2014 Gunn, Anne ; Russell, Don ( March 2013 ), Changing abundance in migratory tundra caribou and wild reindeer and the role for a circumpolar collaborative network ( PDF ), Deer Specialist Group ( DSG ) newsletter, retrieved 15 January 2014 CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network ( CARMA ), an international network researches on the status of the world 's wild Rangifer ( reindeer and caribou ) populations, including effects of global changes, ( climate change, industrial development ). Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna ( CAFF ) is the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council. Gunn, Anne ; Miller, Frank L. ; Thomas, D.C. ( 1979 ), `` COSEWIC status report on the Peary caribou Rangifer tarandus pearyi in Canada '', Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC ), Ottawa, p. 40 Gunn, Anne ; Nishi, J. ( 1998 ), `` Review of information for Dolphin and Union caribou herd '', in Gunn, A. ; Seal, U.S. ; Miller, P.S., Population and Habitat Viability Assessment Workshop for the Peary caribou ( Rangifer tarandus pearyi ), Briefing book, Apple Valley, Minnesota : Conservation Breeding Specialist Group ( SSC / UCN ), pp. 1 -- 22 `` The Gwich'in '', Gwich'in Council International ( GCI ), Inuvik, NWT, 2010, retrieved 16 January 2014 Henttonen, H. ; Tikhonov, A. ( 2008 ), Rangifer tarandus, International Union for Conservation of Nature, retrieved 13 September 2014 Hervieux, David ; et al. ( July 2005 ), `` Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Plan 2004 / 5 - 2013 / 14 '' ( PDF ), The Alberta Woodland Caribou Recovery Team, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 4 March 2016, retrieved 3 November 2014 Hoag, Hannah ( 15 December 2013 ), `` Caribou genetics reveal shadow of climate change '', Nature, doi : 10.1038 / nature. 2013.14376, retrieved 20 October 2014 Hoare, Ben ( 2009 ), Animal Migration, London : Natural History Museum, p. 45, ISBN 978 - 0 - 565 - 09243 - 6 Hornsby, Debra ( 25 August 2011 ), The ghosts on top of my head : Iconic sculpture creates campus focal point, Banff, Alberta, retrieved 31 January 2014 Hughes, J. ; Albon, S.D. ; Irvine, R.J. ; Woodin, S. ; et al. ( 2009 ). `` Is there a cost of parasites to caribou ? ''. Parasitology. 136 : 253 -- 265. doi : 10.1017 / s0031182008005246. Cited in Vors ' Phd ( 2013 ), Caribou `` Rangifer tarandus caribou ( Gmelin, 1788 ) : Taxonomic Serial No. : 202411 '', Integrated Taxonomic Information System ( ITIS ), 18 December 2013, retrieved 18 December 2013 Kavanagh, Maureen, ed. ( 2005 ) ( 1985 ), `` Hinterland Who 's Who '', Canadian Wildlife Service / EC, ISBN 0 - 662 - 39659 - 6, archived from the original on 24 December 2013, retrieved 21 December 2013 Klein, David R. ( December 1980 ). `` Conflicts Between Domestic Reindeer and Their Wild Counterparts : A Review of Eurasian and North American Experience '' ( PDF ). ARCTIC. Calgary, Alberta. 33 ( 4 ) : 739 -- 756. doi : 10.14430 / arctic2593. Kolpashikov, Leonid ; Makhailov, V. ; Russell, Don ( 2015 ), `` The role of harvest, predators and socio - political environment in the dynamics of the Taimyr wild reindeer herd with some lessons for North America '', Ecology and Society Kurtén, Björn ( 1968 ). `` Pleistocene Mammals of Europe ''. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4128 - 4514 - 4. Retrieved 6 August 2013. Latham, A. David M. ; Latham, M. Cecilia ; McCutchen, Nicole A. ; Boutina, Stan ( 2011 ), `` Invading White - Tailed Deer Change Wolf - Caribou Dynamics in Northeastern Alberta '', Journal of Wildlife Management, 75 ( 1 ) : 204 -- 212, doi : 10.1002 / jwmg. 28, retrieved 3 November 2014 Lunn, Susan ( 17 December 2013 ), Woodland caribou still at risk, despite federal plan to help : Provinces, territories get poor grades for efforts to help in past 12 months, CBC News, retrieved 18 December 2013 Mager, Karen H. ( 2012 ), Population Structure and Hybridization of Alaskan Caribou and Reindeer : Integrating Genetics and Local Knowledge ( PDF ) ( PhD dissertation ), Fairbanks, Alaska : e University of Alaska Fairbanks, retrieved 27 December 2013 Mahoney, Shane P. ; Weir, Jackie N. ; Luther, J. Glenn ; Schaefer, James A. ; Morrison, Shawn F. ( 2011 ), `` Morphological change in Newfoundland caribou : Effects of abundance and climate '', Rangifer, 31 ( 1 ) `` Aboriginal leaders of Québec and Labrador unite to protect the Ungava caribou '', Makivik, Kuujjuaq, Nunavik and Nain, Labrador, 24 April 2013a, retrieved 15 December 2013 Mallory, F.F. ; Hillis, T.L. ( 1998 ), `` Demographic characteristics of circumpolar caribou populations : ecotypes, ecological constraints / releases, and population dynamics '', Rangifer ( Special Issue 10 ) : 9 -- 60, retrieved 18 December 2013 McCloskey, Erin ( 2011 ), `` Caribou '', Wolves in Canada, Lone Pines, pp. 72 -- 82, ISBN 978 - 1 - 55105 - 872 - 6 McLoughlin, P.D. ; Dzus, E. ; Wynes, B. ; Boutin, Stan ( 2003 ), `` Declines in populations of woodland caribou '', Journal of Wildlife Management, 67 : 755 -- 761, doi : 10.2307 / 3802682 Moote, I. ( 1955 ), `` The thermal insulation of caribou pelts '', Textile Research Journal, 25 ( 10 ) : 832 -- 837, doi : 10.1177 / 004051755502501002 Grubb, P. ( 2005 ). Wilson, D.E. ; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World : A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference ( 3rd ed. ). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8018 - 8221 - 0. OCLC 62265494. Nagy, John A. ; Auriat, Denise ; Wright, Wendy ; Slack, Todd ; Ellsworth, Ian ; Kienzler, Martin ( n.d. ), Ecology of Boreal Woodland Caribou in the Lower Mackenzie Valley, NT : Work Completed in the Inuvik Region April 2003 to November 2004 Accessed 2013 `` State of Canada 's Forests 1999 - 2000 : Forests in the New Millennium '' ( PDF ), Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 2000, ISBN 0 - 662 - 29069 - 0, retrieved 19 December 2013 Naughton, Donna ( 2011 ), The Natural History of Canadian Mammals, Canadian Museum of Nature and University of Toronto Press, p. 543, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4426 - 4483 - 0 `` Nunavik 's Leaf River caribou herd decreasing '', Nunatsiaq News, Nunavik, 11 November 2011, retrieved 17 December 2011 `` Inuit, Inuu, Cree in Quebec and Labrador join forces to protect Ungava caribou : a united and powerful voice that will endeavour to preserve caribou '', Nunatsiaq News, 26 April 2013, retrieved 14 January 2014 `` Size of Nunavik 's George River caribou herd nosedives : new survey '', Nunatsiaq News, 20 August 2012, retrieved 15 December 2012 `` Nunavik 's Leaf River caribou herd decreasing '', Nunatsiaq News, Nunavik, 11 November 2011, retrieved 17 December 2011 Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik Tourism, 2010, retrieved 15 December 2013 GNWT, Species at Risk in the Northwest Territories 2012 ( PDF ), Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7708 - 0196 - 0, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 24 September 2015, retrieved 31 October 2014 Ornstein, Robert Evan ; Ehrlich, Paul R. ( 1989 ), New World New Mind : Moving Toward Conscious Evolution, New York : Doubleday, p. 302 See Robert E. Ornstein Ornstein, Robert Evan ; Ehrlich, Paul R. ( 1989b ), `` Managing a world long gone : the old mind in politics, the environment, and war '', New World New Mind : Moving Toward Conscious Evolution ( PDF ), Nature, New York : Doubleday, p. 302, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 20 March 2013 `` Species at Risk : Woodland Caribou '', Parks Canada, Government of Canada, 29 February 2012 `` All About Caribou : an Educator 's Guide to North America '' ( PDF ), Project Caribou, Whitehorse, Yukon : Yukon Department of Environment Conservation, Protection and Public Education Branch, p. 29, n.d., archived from the original ( PDF ) on 6 July 2013, retrieved 17 January 2014 Racey, G.D. ; Armstrong, T. ( 2000 ), `` Woodland caribou range occupancy in northwestern Ontario : past and present '', Rangifer, Special Issue, 12 : 173 -- 184, doi : 10.7557 / 2.20. 5.1643 Rahiman, Mohd Hezri Fazalul ( 2009 ), Heat exchanger ( PDF ), Malaysia, retrieved 3 November 2014 caribou, also add to countercurrent heat exchange Rand, Silas Tertius ( 2006 ) ( 1875 ), First reading book in the Micmac language, Vancouver : Global Language Press ( Nova Scotia Printing Company ), ISBN 0 - 9738924 - 8 - X Rand, Silas Tertius ( 1888 ), Dictionary of the language of the Micmac Indians, who reside in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton and Newfoundland, retrieved 17 January 2014 Reid, F. ( 2006 ), Mammals of North America, Peterson Field Guides, ISBN 978 - 0 - 395 - 93596 - 5 Rodgers, Arthur R. ; Berglund, Nancy E. ; Wade, Keith D. ; Allison, Bradley A. ; Iwachewski, Edward P. ( 27 -- 29 November 2007 ), Forest - Dwelling Woodland Caribou in Ontario ( PDF ), CNFER Experimental Design Workshop Report ( 002 ), Thunder Bay, Ontario : Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research ( CNFER ), Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, p. 19, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4249 - 8289 - 9, retrieved 15 December 2013 Russell, Don E. ; Gunn, A. ( 20 November 2013 ), Migratory Tundra Rangifer, Annual Arctic Report Card, NOAA Arctic Research Program, retrieved 14 January 2014 This report is rich in data regarding migratory herds in the entire circumpolar region, providing current data ( up to 2013 ) on dozens of herds globally. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) under the United States Department of Commerce, publishes an annual Arctic report card. Don Russell, is one of the founding members and current coordinator of CARMA. His post-graduate career spans over 4 decades included research on the Porcupine herd, and on oil activities around Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. He worked for the Government of Yukon the Canadian Wildlife Service. Woodland caribou boreal population - biology, SARA, October 2014, retrieved 3 November 2014 Schaefer, J.A. ( 2003 ). `` Long - term range recession and the persistence of caribou in the taiga ''. Conservation Biology. 17 ( 5 ) : 1435 -- 1439. doi : 10.1046 / j. 1523 - 1739.2003. 02288. x. Seip, D.R. ( 1992 ), `` Factors limiting caribou populations and their interrelationships with wolves and moose in southeastern British Columbia '', Canadian Journal of Zoology, 70 : 1494 -- 1503, doi : 10.1139 / z92 - 206 Shackleton, David ( May 2013 ) ( 1999 ), Hoofed Mammals of British Columbia, pp. 272 pages, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7726 - 6638 - 3 Shideler, R.T. ; Robus, M.H. ; Winters, J.F. ; Kuwada, M. ( June 1986 ), Impacts of Human Developments and Land Use on Caribou : a Literature Review Volume I : a Worldwide Perspective ( PDF ), Technical Report 86 - 2, Alaska Department of Fish & Game Habitat and Restoration Division, retrieved 18 December 2013 Smith, B.E. ( 1998 ), `` Antler size and winter mortality of elk : effects of environment, birth year, and parasites '', Journal of Mammalogy, 79 : 1038 -- 1044, doi : 10.2307 / 1383113 Sorensen, Troy ; et al. ( 2008 ), `` Determining Sustainable Levels of Cumulative Effects for Boreal Caribou '' ( PDF ), Journal of Wildlife Management, Alberta Caribou Committee, 72 : 904, doi : 10.2193 / 2007 - 079 Spalding, Alex ( 1998 ), Inuktitut -- A Multi-Dialectal Outline Dictionary ( with an Aivilingmiutaq base ), Iqaluit, Nunavut : Nunavut Arctic College `` Environmental Regulation '' ( PDF ), Suncor, Annual Information Form, 1 March 2013, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 17 July 2013 `` Christmas reindeer mystery as world 's largest herd plummets '', Survival International Charitable Trust, 21 December 2011, retrieved 16 November 2012 Thing, Henning ; Olesen, Carsten Riis ; Aastrup, Peter ( 1986 ), `` Antler possession by west Greenland female caribou in relation to population characteristics '', Rangifer, 6, retrieved 3 November 2014 Thomas, D.C. ( 1998 ), `` Needed : less counting of caribou and more ecology '', Rangifer, Special Issue Number 10 : 15 -- 23 Thomas suggested that `` if population surveys can not be expected to produce accurate and precise results, funding is better directed to collecting information on demographic indices, such as pregnancy rates and calf survival, as well as ecological studies to identify habitat requirements ( Culling and Culling 2006 : 44 ). '' Thomas, D.C. ; Gray, D.R. ( 2002 ), Update COSEWIC status report on the woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ) in Canada, Ottawa, Ontario : Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, p. 98 `` Thomas and Graynote that caribou populations are prone to wide fluctuations in numbers and suggest a 20 - year span ( 3 generations ) should be adopted as the standard for assessing trends ( Culling and Culling 2006 : 46 ). '' Varga, Peter ( 20 December 2013 ), Warming climate threatens caribou in Nunavik, Labrador, Baffin : Study links species ' survival with stable climate ( PDF ), Institute of Arctic Biology, retrieved 14 January 2014 Varga, Peter ( 14 March 2013 ), Beverly caribou decline not as drastic as once feared : new study, retrieved 27 December 2013 Vors, L. S ; Boyce, M.S. ( 2009 ). `` Global declines of caribou and reindeer ''. Global Change Biology. 15 ( 11 ) : 2626 -- 2633. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2486.2009. 01974. x. Vors, Liv Solveig ( 2013 ). Caribou in Canada : Ecology and Policy. Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences ( PhD ). Edmonton, Alberta : University of Alberta,. p. 140. Caribou Useful resource. Recent, excellent summaries. Very strong bibliographic references. Captures main categories, subsections. Vors, L.S. ; Schaefer, J.A. ; Pond, B.A. ; R. Rodgers, Arthur ; Patterson, B.R. ( 2007 ), `` Woodland caribou extirpation and anthropogenic landscape disturbance in Ontario '', Journal of Wildlife Management, 71 ( 4 ) : 1249 -- 1256, doi : 10.2193 / 2006 - 263 Walker, Matt ( 6 November 2009 ), News - Reindeer herds in global decline, BBC Earth, BBC News, retrieved 21 January 2014 Wells, Jeff ( 2 January 2013 ), In Decline, Caribou Face a Tough Winter in Canada, National Geographic Society, retrieved 15 December 2013 `` Caribou Census Complete : 325,000 animals '' ( PDF ), Caribou Trails : News from the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, Nome, Alaska : Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, August 2012, retrieved 14 January 2014 `` Woodland Caribou : Rangifer Tarandus '' ( PDF ), Wildlife Division Government of Newfoundland, 2009, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 26 November 2013, retrieved 14 January 2014 `` Summary Report 2006 Maxhamish Range Boreal Caribou Inventory : Kiwigana, Fortune, and Capot - Blanc Core Areas '' ( PDF ), Wildlife Inventory Program, March 2006, retrieved 19 December 2013 Wilkinson, Christopher J.A. ( 2008 ), `` An examination of recovery planning for forest - dwelling woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ) in Ontario, Canada '', Rangifer, Ontario, Canada : Office of the Environmental Commissioner, 28 ( 1 ) : 13 -- 32, doi : 10.7557 / 2.28. 1.147, retrieved 15 December 2013 Wilson, Don E. ; Reeder, DeeAnn M. ( 2005 ), Mammal Species of the World, 1 & 2, Baltimore, Maryland, USA : Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 0 - 8018 - 8221 - 4, retrieved 18 December 2013 `` Woodland Caribou '' ( PDF ), Wildlife Division, Government of Newfoundland, 2009, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 26 November 2013, retrieved 14 January 2014 Witter, L.A. ; Johnson, C.J. ; Croft, B. ; Gunn, Anne ; Poirier, L.M. ; et al. ( 2012 ). `` Gauging climate change effects at local scales : weather - based indices to monitor insect harassment in caribou ''. Ecological Applications. 22 : 1838 -- 1851. doi : 10.1890 / 11 - 0569.1. Yannic, Glenn ; et al. ( February 2014 ), `` Genetic diversity in caribou linked to past and future climate change '' ( PDF ), Nature Climate Change, Laval, Quebec, 4 : 132 -- 137, doi : 10.1038 / NCLIMATE2074, retrieved 20 October 2014 Zielinski, Sarah ( 16 December 2013 ), `` Six Ways Climate Change Is Waging War on Christmas '', Smithsonian Magazine, retrieved 16 August 2014 Zager, Peter ; Mills, L. Scott ; Wakkinen, Wayne ; Tallm, David ( n.d. ), Woodland Caribou : A Conservation Dilemma, University of Michigan, retrieved 18 December 2013 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rangifer tarandus. Wikispecies has information related to : Rangifer tarandus Look up reindeer or caribou in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Species at Risk in Canada Registry List of Species at Risk in Canada, by category Species at Risk in Canada at Hinterland Who 's Who Frequently Asked Questions about Caribou from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Caribou and You -- Campaign by CPAWS to protect the woodland caribou, a species at risk in Canada Newfoundland Five - Year Caribou Strategy Seeks to Address Declining Populations Rangifer tarandus on the IUCN Red List Reindeer herding and husbandry in North America Reindeer Research Program - Alaska reindeer research and industry development Adaptations To Life In The Arctic -- Instructional slide - show, University of Alaska Rangifer -- world 's only scientific journal dealing exclusively with husbandry, management and biology of Arctic and northern ungulates 1935 Reindeer Herding in the Northwest Territories General information on Caribou and Reindeer Human Role in Reindeer / Caribou Systems Works related to Caribou at Wikisource Extant Artiodactyla species Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Infraclass : Eutheria Superorder : Laurasiatheria Suborder Ruminantia Antilocapridae Antilocapra Pronghorn ( A. americana ) Giraffidae Okapia Okapi ( O. johnstoni ) Giraffa Northern giraffe ( G. camelopardalis ) Southern giraffe ( G. giraffa ) Reticulated giraffe ( G. reticulata ) Masai giraffe ( G. tippelskirchi ) Moschidae Moschus Anhui musk deer ( M. anhuiensis ) Dwarf musk deer ( M. berezovskii ) Alpine musk deer ( M. chrysogaster ) Kashmir musk deer ( M. cupreus ) Black musk deer ( M. fuscus ) Himalayan musk deer ( M. leucogaster ) Siberian musk deer ( M. moschiferus ) Tragulidae Hyemoschus Water chevrotain ( H. aquaticus ) Moschiola Indian spotted chevrotain ( M. indica ) Yellow - striped chevrotain ( M. kathygre ) Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain ( M. meminna ) Tragulus Java mouse - deer ( T. javanicus ) Lesser mouse - deer ( T. kanchil ) Greater mouse - deer ( T. napu ) Philippine mouse - deer ( T. nigricans ) Vietnam mouse - deer ( T. versicolor ) Williamson 's mouse - deer ( T. williamsoni ) Cervidae Large family listed below Bovidae Large family listed below Family Cervidae Cervinae Muntiacus Indian muntjac ( M. muntjak ) Reeves 's muntjac ( M. reevesi ) Hairy - fronted muntjac ( M. crinifrons ) Fea 's muntjac ( M. feae ) Bornean yellow muntjac ( M. atherodes ) Roosevelt 's muntjac ( M. rooseveltorum ) Gongshan muntjac ( M. gongshanensis ) Giant muntjac ( M. vuquangensis ) Truong Son muntjac ( M. truongsonensis ) Leaf muntjac ( M. putaoensis ) Sumatran muntjac ( M. montanus ) Pu Hoat muntjac ( M. puhoatensis ) Elaphodus Tufted deer ( E. cephalophus ) Dama Fallow deer ( D. dama ) Persian fallow deer ( D. mesopotamica ) Axis Chital ( A. axis ) Rucervus Barasingha ( R. duvaucelii ) Panolia Eld 's deer ( P. eldii ) Elaphurus Père David 's deer ( E. davidianus ) Hyelaphus Hog deer ( H. porcinus ) Calamian deer ( H. calamianensis ) Bawean deer ( H. kuhlii ) Rusa Sambar deer ( R. unicolor ) Rusa deer ( R. timorensis ) Philippine sambar ( R. mariannus ) Philippine spotted deer ( R. alfredi ) Cervus Red deer ( C. elaphus ) Elk ( C. canadensis ) Thorold 's deer ( C. albirostris ) Sika deer ( C. nippon ) Capreolinae Alces Moose ( A. alces ) Hydropotes Water deer ( H. inermis ) Capreolus Roe deer ( C. capreolus ) Siberian roe deer ( C. pygargus ) Rangifer Caribou ( R. tarandus ) Reindeer ( R. tarandus ) Hippocamelus Taruca ( H. antisensis ) South Andean deer ( H. bisulcus ) Mazama Red brocket ( M. americana ) Small red brocket ( M. bororo ) Merida brocket ( M. bricenii ) Dwarf brocket ( M. chunyi ) Gray brocket ( M. gouazoubira ) Pygmy brocket ( M. nana ) Amazonian brown brocket ( M. nemorivaga ) Yucatan brown brocket ( M. pandora ) Little red brocket ( M. rufina ) Central American red brocket ( M. temama ) Ozotoceros Pampas deer ( O. bezoarticus ) Blastocerus Marsh deer ( B. dichotomus ) Pudu Northern pudú ( P. mephistophiles ) Southern pudú ( P. pudu ) Odocoileus White - tailed deer ( O. virginianus ) Mule deer ( O. hemionus ) Family Bovidae Cephalophinae Cephalophus Abbott 's duiker ( C. spadix ) Aders 's duiker ( C. adersi ) Bay duiker ( C. dorsalis ) Black duiker ( C. niger ) Black - fronted duiker ( C. nigrifrons ) Brooke 's duiker ( C. brookei ) Harvey 's duiker ( C. harveyi ) Jentink 's duiker ( C. jentinki ) Ogilby 's duiker ( C. ogilbyi ) Peters 's duiker ( C. callipygus ) Red - flanked duiker ( C. rufilatus ) Red forest duiker ( C. natalensis ) Ruwenzori duiker ( C. rubidis ) Weyns 's duiker ( C. weynsi ) White - bellied duiker ( C. leucogaster ) White - legged duiker ( C. crusalbum ) Yellow - backed duiker ( C. Sylvicultor ) Zebra duiker ( C. zebra ) Philantomba Blue duiker ( P. monticola ) Maxwell 's duiker ( P. maxwellii ) Walter 's duiker ( P. walteri ) Sylvicapra Common duiker ( S. grimmia ) Hippotraginae Hippotragus Roan antelope ( H. equinus ) Sable antelope ( H. niger ) Oryx East African oryx ( O. beisa ) Scimitar oryx ( O. dammah ) Gemsbok ( O. gazella ) Arabian oryx ( O. leucoryx ) Addax Addax ( A. nasomaculatus ) Reduncinae Kobus Upemba lechwe ( K. anselli ) Waterbuck ( K. ellipsiprymnus ) Kob ( K. kob ) Lechwe ( K. leche ) Nile lechwe ( K. megaceros ) Puku ( K. vardonii ) Redunca Southern reedbuck ( R. arundinum ) Mountain reedbuck ( R. fulvorufula ) Bohor reedbuck ( R. redunca ) Aepycerotinae Aepyceros Impala ( A. melampus ) Peleinae Pelea Grey rhebok ( P. capreolus ) Alcelaphinae Beatragus Hirola ( B. hunteri ) Damaliscus Topi ( D. korrigum ) Common tsessebe ( D. lunatus ) Bontebok ( D. pygargus ) Bangweulu tsessebe ( D. superstes ) Alcelaphus Hartebeest ( A. buselaphus ) Red hartebeest ( A. caama ) Lichtenstein 's hartebeest ( A. lichtensteinii ) Connochaetes Black wildebeest ( C. gnou ) Blue wildebeest ( C. taurinus ) Pantholopinae Pantholops Tibetan antelope ( P. hodgsonii ) Caprinae Large subfamily listed below Bovinae Large subfamily listed below Antilopinae Large subfamily listed below Family Bovidae ( subfamily Caprinae ) Ammotragus Barbary sheep ( A. lervia ) Budorcas Takin ( B. taxicolor ) Capra Wild goat ( C. aegagrus ) Domestic goat ( C. aegagrus hircus ) West Caucasian tur ( C. caucasia ) East Caucasian tur ( C. cylindricornis ) Markhor ( C. falconeri ) Alpine ibex ( C. ibex ) Nubian ibex ( C. nubiana ) Spanish ibex ( C. pyrenaica ) Siberian ibex ( C. sibirica ) Walia ibex ( C. walie ) Capricornis Japanese serow ( C. crispus ) Taiwan serow ( C. swinhoei ) Sumatran serow ( C. sumatraensis ) Mainland serow ( C. milneedwardsii ) Red serow ( C. rubidusi ) Himalayan serow ( C. thar ) Hemitragus Nilgiri tahr ( H. hylocrius ) Arabian tahr ( H. jayakari ) Himalayan tahr ( H. jemlahicus ) Naemorhedus Red goral ( N. baileyi ) Long - tailed goral ( N. caudatus ) Himalayan goral ( N. goral ) Chinese goral ( N. griseus ) Oreamnos Mountain goat ( O. americanus ) Ovibos Muskox ( O. moschatus ) Ovis Argali ( O. ammon ) Domestic sheep ( O. aries ) Bighorn sheep ( O. canadensis ) Dall sheep ( O. dalli ) Mouflon ( O. musimon ) Snow sheep ( O. nivicola ) Urial ( O. orientalis ) Pseudois Bharal ( P. nayaur ) Dwarf blue sheep ( P. schaeferi ) Rupicapra Pyrenean chamois ( R. pyrenaica ) Chamois ( R. rupicapra ) Family Bovidae ( subfamily Bovinae ) Boselaphini Tetracerus Four - horned antelope ( T. quadricornis ) Boselaphus Nilgai ( B. tragocamelus ) Bovini Bubalus Water buffalo ( B. bubalis ) Wild Water Buffalo ( B. arnee ) Lowland anoa ( B. depressicornis ) Mountain anoa ( B. quarlesi ) Tamaraw ( B. mindorensis ) Bos Banteng ( B. javanicus ) Gaur ( B. gaurus ) Gayal ( B. frontalis ) Domestic yak ( B. grunniens ) Wild yak ( B. mutus ) Cattle ( B. taurus ) Kouprey ( B. sauveli ) Pseudonovibos Kting voar ( P. spiralis ) Pseudoryx Saola ( P. nghetinhensis ) Syncerus African buffalo ( S. caffer ) Bison American bison ( B. bison ) European bison ( B. bonasus ) Strepsicerotini Tragelaphus ( including kudus ) Sitatunga ( T. spekeii ) Nyala ( T. angasii ) Kéwel ( T. scriptus ) Imbabala ( T. sylvaticus ) Mountain nyala ( T. buxtoni ) Lesser kudu ( T. imberbis ) Greater kudu ( T. strepsiceros ) Bongo ( T. eurycerus ) Taurotragus Common eland ( T. oryx ) Giant eland ( T. derbianus ) Family Bovidae ( subfamily Antilopinae ) Antilopini Ammodorcas Dibatag ( A. clarkei ) Antidorcas Springbok ( A. marsupialis ) Antilope Blackbuck ( A. cervicapra ) Eudorcas Mongalla gazelle ( E. albonotata ) Red - fronted gazelle ( E. rufifrons ) Thomson 's gazelle ( E. thomsonii ) Gazella Mountain gazelle ( G. gazella ) Neumann 's gazelle ( G. erlangeri ) Speke 's gazelle ( G. spekei ) Dorcas gazelle ( G. dorcas ) Chinkara ( G. bennettii ) Cuvier 's gazelle ( G. cuvieri ) Rhim gazelle ( G. leptoceros ) Goitered gazelle ( G. subgutturosa ) Litocranius Gerenuk ( L. walleri ) Nanger Dama gazelle ( N. dama ) Grant 's gazelle ( N. granti ) Soemmerring 's gazelle ( N. soemmerringii ) Procapra Mongolian gazelle ( P. gutturosa ) Goa ( P. picticaudata ) Przewalski 's gazelle ( P. przewalskii ) Saigini Pantholops Tibetan antelope ( P. hodgsonii ) Saiga Saiga antelope ( S. tatarica ) Neotragini Dorcatragus Beira ( D. megalotis ) Madoqua Günther 's dik - dik ( M. guentheri ) Kirk 's dik - dik ( M. kirkii ) Silver dik - dik ( M. piacentinii ) Salt 's dik - dik ( M. saltiana ) Neotragus Bates 's pygmy antelope ( N. batesi ) Suni ( N. moschatus ) Royal antelope ( N. pygmaeus ) Oreotragus Klipspringer ( O. oreotragus ) Ourebia Oribi ( O. ourebi ) Raphicerus Steenbok ( R. campestris ) Cape grysbok ( R. melanotis ) Sharpe 's grysbok ( R. sharpei ) Suborder Suina Suidae Babyrousa Buru babirusa ( B. babyrussa ) North Sulawesi babirusa ( B. celebensis ) Togian babirusa ( B. togeanensis ) Hylochoerus Giant forest hog ( H. meinertzhageni ) Phacochoerus Desert warthog ( P. aethiopicus ) Common warthog ( P. africanus ) Porcula Pygmy hog ( P. salvania ) Potamochoerus Bushpig ( P. larvatus ) Red river hog ( P. porcus ) Sus ( Pigs ) Palawan bearded pig ( S. ahoenobarbus ) Bornean bearded pig ( S. barbatus ) Indo - chinese warty pig ( S. bucculentus ) Visayan warty pig ( S. cebifrons ) Celebes warty pig ( S. celebensis ) Flores warty pig ( S. heureni ) Oliver 's warty pig ( S. oliveri ) Philippine warty pig ( S. philippensis ) Wild boar ( S. scrofa ) Timor warty pig ( S. timoriensis ) Javan warty pig ( S. verrucosus ) Tayassuidae Tayassu White - lipped peccary ( T. pecari ) Catagonus Chacoan peccary ( C. wagneri ) Pecari Collared peccary ( P. tajacu ) Giant peccary ( P. maximus ) Suborder Tylopoda Camelidae Lama Llama ( L. glama ) Guanaco ( L. guanicoe ) Vicugna Vicuña ( V. vicugna ) Alpaca ( V. pacos ) Camelus Dromedary ( C. dromedarius ) Bactrian camel ( C. bactrianus ) Wild Bactrian camel ( C. ferus ) Whippomorpha ( unranked clade ) Hippopotamidae Hippopotamus Hippopotamus ( H. amphibius ) Choeropsis Pygmy hippopotamus ( C. liberiensis ) Game animals and shooting in the United States Game birds Bobwhite quail Chukar Hungarian partridge Prairie chicken Mourning dove Ring - necked pheasant Ptarmigan Ruffed grouse Sharp - tailed grouse Snipe ( common snipe ) Spruce grouse Turkey Woodcock Waterfowl Black duck Canada goose Canvasback Gadwall Greater scaup Lesser scaup Mallard Northern pintail Redhead Ross 's goose Snow goose Wood duck Big game Bighorn sheep Black bear Razorback Brown bear Bison ( buffalo ) Caribou Cougar ( mountain lion ) Elk Moose White - tailed deer Gray wolf Mountain goat Mule deer Pronghorn Muskox Dall sheep Polar bear Other quarry American alligator Bobcat Coyote Fox squirrel Gray fox Gray squirrel Opossum Rabbit Red fox Snowshoe hare See also Bear hunting Big game hunting Bison hunting Deer hunting Waterfowl hunting Whaling Fishing Wolf hunting Upland hunting LCCN : sh85020309 NDL : 00573261 Taxon identifiers Wd : Q4413453 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caribou&oldid=800524436 '' Categories : IUCN Red List vulnerable species Mammals described in 1758 Mammals of the Arctic Arctic land animals Holarctic fauna Mammals of Canada Mammals of the United States Megafauna of North America Reindeer Wildlife conservation in Canada Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter Articles with French - language external links Webarchive template wayback links CS1 errors : missing author or editor Use Canadian English from January 2014 All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English Articles with ' species ' microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2012 All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from July 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles with dead external links from November 2016 Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Use dmy dates from January 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Norsk Norsk nynorsk Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 14 September 2017, at 02 : 21. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where do caribou live in the united states
Answer: northern United States