The genus and species of the reindeer are Rangifer tarandus .
Reindeer are strong runners and very good swimmers.
This deer is found in Arctic tundra, forests, and mountains in Russia, Northern China, Canada, Alaska, and Scandinavia. Some reindeer migrate in huge herds from the coastal Arctic to the tundra. Reindeer have a life span of about 10 years in the wild. Reindeer were domesticated in northern Eurasia roughly 2,000 years ago. Today, reindeer are herded by many European and Asian Arctic people.