Caribou

Caribou (CAIR ah boo) are sometimes called "reindeer".

They are large animals weighing 300 to 600 pounds. Both male and female caribou have very large antlers.

In fact, the female caribou is the only female member of the deer family able to grow antlers. Caribou have long hair and woolly fur. They are great long-distance runners and can easily outrun a pack of wolves. Their wide hooves help them walk easily throught snow. Caribou can also swim.

In Summer, Caribou feed on grass, leaves and other low-growing plants of the tundra, the flat, treeless land of the arctic. In Winter, Caribou migrate to wooded areas and feed on small, dry plants that grow on rocks and tress called lichens (LEYE kuhnz).