Facts About Rudolph And His Buddies

Took a drive to Plainview last Saturday evening to take in all the activities during their Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration.  It was FANTASTIC to say the least!  While I had a great time checking out the Gingerbread House contest, Festival of Trees and touring the History Center, I truly enjoyed the reindeer!  So much so that I had to research these unusual critters and learn what they are all about.  Thanks to the wealth of information available at our fingertips on the web, here's what I found out about Rudolph, Donner, Blixen, Comet and the rest of the gang:

In North America, reindeer are also known as caribou.
Male and female reindeer both have antlers; the male's antlers being larger.
Female reindeer on average weigh between 180 and 260 pounds.  The "bulls" or male reindeer, weigh between 350 and 400 pounds.
Due to tendon function, reindeer's knees make a clicking sound when they walk.
What do reindeer eat, you ask?  Well, they enjoy lichens, leaves of willow trees and birch trees, as well as grass.  They can also feed on small rodents, some fish and bird eggs.
Reindeer meat is considered a dietary staple in many countries.  In Alaska and Finland, you can find grocery store shelves stocked with reindeer sausage.  Laplanders enjoy dinner made of sautéed reindeer meat.  Here's an interesting tidbit - reindeer antlers can be ground to powder and used as an aphrodisiac.
Reindeer mate from late September to early November with calves being born the following May or June.  Reindeer have been known to mate with as many as twenty females during the mating season.

Well, there you have it.  Some fascinating reindeer info.  And you thought they were only good for pulling Santa's sleigh!  Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.....

Photo taken at Plainview Olde Fashioned Christmas, photographer Holly Zuck.