14 Types of Reindeer (Caribou): Subspecies, Habitats and Key Traits

How Many Types of Reindeer Are There?

Although people often distinguish between “reindeer” (Europe/Asia) and “caribou” (North America), they are actually the same species:
Rangifer tarandus.

What varies is the subspecies. Over thousands of years, different populations adapted to:

• Arctic tundra vs. dense boreal forest

• Mountain vs. lowland plains

• Wild vs. semi-domesticated life

Because of this, zoologists recognize 14 subspecies of reindeer/caribou.
They are usually grouped into:

• Eurasian subspecies

• North American subspecies

• One extinct subspecies

Below you’ll find an overview of each, with habitat, appearance and ecological notes so readers can clearly see how diverse this “single” species really is.

Eurasian Reindeer Subspecies

Rangifer tarandus tarandus – Mountain / Norwegian Reindeer

Often called the Norwegian mountain reindeer, this is the classic wild reindeer of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

• Habitat: Mountain tundra and high plateaus in Norway and Sweden

• Size: Medium to large; strongly built for long-distance migration

• Lifestyle:

• Wild herds still exist, alongside semi-domesticated groups

• Many populations perform seasonal migrations, following the best grazing between mountain tundra and lower areas

• Notes:

• Sometimes called fjellrein in Norwegian

• Considered an emblematic reindeer of Europe, strongly tied to local culture and traditional herding

Rangifer tarandus fennicus – Forest Reindeer

This subspecies is often referred to as the Eurasian forest reindeer.

• Habitat: Dense boreal forests of Finland and northwestern Russia

• Size: Generally larger and leggier than tundra reindeer

• Adaptations:

• Long legs and large, wide hooves help it move through deep snow

• Antlers with a broad “V” shape

• Status:

• Populations are small and fragmented

• Some herds cross the Finnish–Russian border, making monitoring and conservation more complex

Forest reindeer are more secretive and harder to observe than open-tundra forms, which is one reason they’re less familiar to the general public.

Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus – Svalbard Reindeer

The Svalbard reindeer is one of the smallest reindeer subspecies.

• Habitat: The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (Norway)

• Size:

• Males: ~65–90 kg

• Females: ~53–70 kg

• Appearance & Lifestyle:

• Very thick, light-colored coat adapted to the high Arctic

• More sedentary than most other reindeer, with limited seasonal movements

• Conservation history:

• Was driven close to extinction by hunting

• After protection and hunting bans, populations have recovered, often used as a conservation success story in Arctic ecology

Rangifer tarandus sibiricus – Siberian Tundra Reindeer

This subspecies includes some of the largest wild tundra herds on Earth.

• Habitat: Tundra regions of northern Russia, from European Russia to Siberia

• Population:

• Includes around 19 major wild herds, historically totaling close to one million animals in some periods

• The famous Taimyr herd has been one of the world’s largest reindeer herds

• Diet & Life:

• Long-distance migrants across open tundra

• Feed on lichens, grasses and dwarf shrubs, especially in winter

• Recent changes:

• Numbers have declined in recent decades, linked to climate change, industrial expansion and increased human disturbance

Rangifer tarandus buskensis – Altai–Sayan Reindeer

Sometimes called the Altai–Sayan reindeer, this form lives far inland, in a mountain landscape.

• Habitat: Forest mountains of the Altai–Sayan region, at 400–1,500 m elevation

• Movements:

• Performs vertical migrations, moving up and down slopes with the seasons

• Diet:

• Strongly reliant on lichens in coniferous forests, especially in winter

• Appearance & Genetics:

• Coat often described as sandy to reddish-brown

• Genetic studies show a distinct mitochondrial lineage, with little or no mixing with domestic reindeer, reflecting a long, separate history in mountain habitats

Rangifer tarandus pearsoni – Novaya Zemlya Reindeer

This subspecies includes the island reindeer of Novaya Zemlya in Arctic Russia.

• Habitat: Islands of Novaya Zemlya, plus reindeer populations on New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island

• Status & Use:

• Around 5,000 animals, including domestic and hybrid herds

• Historically, some herds used to migrate over sea ice to the mainland in summer, but such long crossings are now rare, likely due to climate shifts and ice changes

Rangifer tarandus phylarchus – Kamchatka / Okhotsk Reindeer

This reindeer lives in the Far East of Russia, in the Kamchatka region.

• Habitat: Kamchatka Peninsula and parts of the Sea of Okhotsk region

• Appearance:

• Coat and antler shape resemble North American barren-ground caribou

• Origins:

• Thought to have originated from Beringia, forming its own evolutionary lineage in Kamchatka

• Conservation:

• Hunting and regional development have reduced populations

• A surviving herd is protected within the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, making it an important subspecies for conservation management

North American Caribou Subspecies

Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus – Greenland / Barren-ground Caribou

This is a plains-dwelling, migratory caribou of the far north.

• Habitat: Tundra regions of Canada and Greenland

• Movements:

• Forms large, long-distance migratory herds travelling between open tundra and more sheltered areas

• Size & Appearance:

• Females: ~85–135 kg

• Males: ~100–140 kg

• Males develop a white mane in autumn

• Diet:

• Grasses, sedges and lichens, especially important in winter

These herds are culturally and ecologically vital for northern Indigenous communities and Arctic predators.

Rangifer tarandus caribou – Boreal / Woodland Caribou

Often simply called woodland caribou, this subspecies is associated with North American boreal forests.

• Habitat: Coniferous forests and muskegs across Canada and parts of Alaska

• Size:

• Height at shoulder: ~1–1.2 m

• Weight: typically 110–210 kg, with males larger than females

• Adaptations:

• Broad, crescent-shaped hooves to walk on snow and dig for lichens

• Dense, complex antlers, especially in males

• Coat:

• Brown in summer, changing to greyish in winter

• Neck often creamy or pale, giving a striking contrast in winter forest landscapes

Many woodland caribou populations are now considered threatened, mainly due to habitat fragmentation and increased predation linked to human disturbance.

Rangifer tarandus caboti – George River / Labrador Caribou

This subspecies includes the George River and Leaf River herds in Nunavik (northern Quebec) and Labrador.

• Ecological type:

• Often described as forest caribou, but their migratory behavior is similar to barren-ground herds, covering thousands of kilometers between tundra and forest

• Taxonomy:

• Some experts treat them as a distinct subspecies

• Others group them with other barren-ground forms

• Conservation:

• These herds have experienced dramatic population swings, and long-term management and conservation are crucial to their survival

Rangifer tarandus osborni – Osborn’s Caribou

Osborn’s caribou is a large mountain subspecies found in western Canada.

• Habitat: Northern British Columbia and Yukon, mainly in mountainous regions

• Size:

• One of the largest caribou forms, with some individuals reaching up to 340 kg

• Appearance:

• Reddish-brown coat

• White neck

• Heavy, semi-palmate antlers

• Movements:

• Descend to lower valleys in winter to feed on ground lichens and better shelter

• Status:

• Localized distribution makes this subspecies sensitive to disturbance, logging and industrial development

Rangifer tarandus pearyi – Peary Caribou

The Peary caribou is a small, high-Arctic form found in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

• Habitat: Arctic islands of northern Canada

• Size:

• Males: about 1.7 m in length, ~110 kg

• Females: around 60 kg

• Appearance:

• Almost white in winter, blending with snow and ice

• Darker coat in spring and summer

• Short legs and a short, blunt face, suited to harsh Arctic conditions

• Lifestyle:

• More locally mobile than some migratory mainland herds

• Feeds on scarce Arctic vegetation such as grasses, sedges, dwarf shrubs and willows

Peary caribou are considered highly vulnerable to climate change, sea ice loss and human disturbance in the High Arctic.

Rangifer tarandus terraenovae – Newfoundland Caribou

This subspecies is isolated on the island of Newfoundland.

• Habitat: The island of Newfoundland, off Canada’s Atlantic coast

• Predators:

• After wolves were eradicated in the 20th century, Canada lynx became the main natural predator

• Taxonomy & Ecology:

• Earlier authors grouped them with other forms, but

• Their insular isolation and unique ecology support treating them as a distinct subspecies

• Distinct traits:

• Show specific behavioral and ecological adaptations to life on an island, including different migration patterns and responses to local vegetation and predators

Extinct Reindeer Subspecies

Rangifer tarandus dawsoni – Dawson’s Caribou (Extinct)

Dawson’s caribou once lived on Graham Island, part of the Haida Gwaii archipelago off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.

• Appearance:

• Greyish coat, adapted to the island’s cool, wet climate

• Extinction:

• Habitat loss

• Introduced diseases

• Overhunting

• Disappeared in the early 20th century due to:

• The last three known individuals were shot in 1908 and preserved in a museum collection

• Genetics:

• Later genetic analyses suggest Dawson’s caribou may not have been extremely distinct from mainland caribou, but their island isolation gave them unique ecological traits that were lost with their extinction

Why So Many Reindeer Subspecies Matter

Reindeer/caribou are a keystone herbivore of northern ecosystems:

• They shape plant communities through grazing

• They are vital prey for wolves, bears and other large carnivores

• Many Indigenous cultures depend on them for food, clothing and cultural identity

Recognizing the 14 subspecies of Rangifer tarandus helps scientists, wildlife managers and local communities:

• Track population trends

• Protect unique genetic lineages

• Design conservation plans tailored to each region’s climate, predators and human pressures

From the tiny Svalbard reindeer to the massive Osborn’s caribou, all of these forms remind us how a single species can diversify and adapt to some of the harshest environments on Earth.

Referencias

National Park Service. (2025). Reindeer vs. Caribou. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/reinderrvscaribou.htm#:~:text=Caribou%20and%20reindeer%20are%20the,case%20of%20reindeer%2C%20selective%20breeding

Bibliografía

Thomas, D. y Gray, D. (2002). Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 6. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/cosewic-assessments-status-reports/woodland-caribou/chapter-6.html

Harding LE. Available names for Rangifer (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Cervidae) species and subspecies. Zookeys. 2022 Aug 26;1119:117-151. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1119.80233. Erratum in: Zookeys. 2022 Sep 28;1122:173-174. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1122.94672. PMID: 36762356; PMCID: PMC9848878.

Yalden, D. W. 1999. The History of British Mammals. T & A D Poyser (London).

Canadian Geographic. https://canadiangeographic.ca/

Species at Risk. https://www.nwtspeciesatrisk.ca/en

animal tags： Reindeer

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a Animals Top editor.