Reindeer can be found in Lapland (Northern Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia), North America (All over Canada and on farms across North America where they are raised in captivity), and Siberia. They were first used by people to do work in Lappland and Siberia.
Reindeer live in coniferous forest and Arctic conditions. The historic range of the reindeer is threatened by global warming.
Reindeer are herd animals and live in groups. They live in groups of 10-100 reindeer, which are herds of only females or herds of only males. Reindeer go on long journeys between the warm and cold seasons. For this journeys the smaller groups form big herds of up to several 100,000 animals. Reindeer mate in October, and the males mate with as many females as possible.
Reindeer eat mostly grass, but eat also almost any other plant. In winter they often eat lichen, moss and fungi. "During winter, they find lichen by using their hooves to get under the snow"
After a pregnancy of 230 days the female gives birth to a single baby, usually in May or June. Reindeer babies do not have spots on their fur, like most other deer babies have. Young reindeer become mature when they are 2 year old. Reindeer usually live to be 12–15 years old, sometimes they can live to be 20 years old.
"[D]uring early spring when the daytime temperature rise[s] and they have not [yet] shed [much of] their [ fur or] winter coats", they "[s]ometimes ... [get] heat stroke".
Reindeer have been hunted by humans since the stone age. People, especially in the northern regions, used the reindeer's meat, fur, skin, antlers and bones.
The reindeer was domesticated about 3 thousand years ago. It was first domesticated in Siberia and Scandinavia. Since then, reindeer have also been used for transport, for example for pulling sleds. Because reindeer can live in very cold climates, domesticated reindeer are used in most northern parts of the world.
Among the ethnic groups that use reindeer - for fur, and food - are the Sami people in Lapland.
In western/European culture, it is said that Santa Claus' sled is pulled by reindeer.
Deer
The deer are a group of even-toed ungulate mammals. They form the family Cervidae. The word 'deer' is both singular and plural.
A male deer is called a "stag" or "buck", a female deer is called a "doe or hind", and a young deer is called a "fawn, kid or calf".
There are about 60 species of deer. They originally lived in the northern hemisphere, and now are native to Europe, Asia, North America and South America. Humans have introduced deer to places where they did not live naturally, such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Almost all adult deer have antlers, except one, the water deer, which has tusks. Only male deer have antlers, except for reindeer (caribou), where both sexes carry antlers. The antlers are deciduous, and drop off after the mating season. Their main use is for males to fight for groups of females during the rutting season (mating season).
Musk deer (family Moschidae) and chevrotains (Tragulidae) have no antlers, and are "not" deer. They are ruminants (Ruminantia). They are no more closely related to deer than any other even-toed ungulates. Their evolutionary history is not well-known, and they are often described as "not true deer".
Deer do not make nests or dens. They find a safe and comfortable place to rest under low hanging evergreen branches. They stay close to where they can find food. In summer, they eat grasses, plants and weeds. In the fall, they like mushrooms and small branches. They do not store their food for the winter. If the snow is not deep, they use their hooves to uncover moss and leaves. If the snow is deep, they eat twigs and branches.
The doe usually has one or two fawns in the spring. The fawn is precocial, and can stand immediately after birth, but is weak. The doe will hide each fawn in a different place. They are camouflaged by spots on their backs.
Deer have many predators. Wolves, cougar, dogs and people will eat deer. They are always looking, listening and smelling for danger.
Generally speaking, deer prefer mixed forest and grassland areas. In former times, wolves were the number one enemy of deer. Even though deer today rarely need to defend against attack, their behaviour is adapted to succeed in mating, and protect themselves and their relatives from predators.
The rut establishes which males are dominant, and each successful male has a group of females. The group stays together until the fawns are born, about four or five months. Deer are by nature gregarius (social) and like to live together. This helps their defence against predators. The details vary between species. The actual defence against attack is decided by the dominant male. He decides whether to stand and, if necessary, to fight. Males keep their antlers for half a year. If they run, deer are outstanding runners. If they stand, they can kick. They will not attack humans unless the male senses danger. He gives warning by posture and sound. Stags tend to join up in male groups for mutual defence once their antlers are shed. The females also join up in large herds which can defend themselves fairly well. Deer stay in these single-sex groups for much of the year.
Deer are browsers, and feed mainly on leaves. Deer choose easily digestible shoots, young leaves, fresh grasses, soft twigs, fruit, fungi, and lichens. This is mostly low-fibre food. The male deer need minerals such as calcium and phosphate for their antler growth.
Deer are a monophyletic group. They originated in the northern hemisphere and arrived in some Gondwana continents much later. Red deer are found in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, and some deer arrived in South America via the Great American Interchange.
Below North Africa there are no deer. Their place in the ecosystems is taken by antelopes, which occupy a niche similar to the deer. Antelopes are not a monophyletic group. The antelope types have evolved from several bovid groups, and are an example of convergent evolution.
The deer family has about 62 species.
The most famous fictional deer is Bambi.
Congo
Congo can refer to several things:
Dalton (unit)
The dalton or unified atomic mass unit (abbreviated: amu, u, or Da) is a unit of measurement that is used to measure the mass of atoms. The atomic mass unit is equal to one twelfth of the mass of the carbon-12.
The unified atomic mass unit and the dalton are different names for the same thing. The word 'dalton' is being used more over time. The unit is named after John Dalton, an 18th-century naturalist and teacher.
Anion
Anions are atoms or radicals (groups of atoms), that have gained electrons. Since they now have more electrons than protons, anions have a negative charge. For example, chloride ions Cl- , bromide Br- , iodide I-. These are monovalent anions, meaning they have a valency (combining capacity) with only one ion of hydrogen. Similarly there are bivalent anions, etc.
An ion is an atom (or group of atoms) with an electrical charge. Anions are one of the two types of ions. The other type is called a Cation, having a positive charge. In many crystals the anions are bigger; the little cations fit into the spaces between them.
Anions are termed so because they are attracted towards the anode (the positive electrode). All anions tend to accept a proton H+ thus they are categorised as base
David (Michelangelo)
David is a statue by Michelangelo, begun in 1501 and completed in 1504. It is made of marble and is 17 feet tall. It is a statue of a shepherd, David, whose story is told in the Bible. David fought a battle with a giant soldier called Goliath. He beat Goliath by knocking him down with a small stone from his slingshot. David later became King of Israel.
Michelangelo has carved the figure naked, in the way that Ancient Roman statues of Classical Gods were often made. He shows David before the fight, just as he is looking at Goliath and planning what to do.