Peary Caribou
A native of northern Canada, the Peary Caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) is an endangered species. Their actual range is in the arctic circle areas of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The Peary Caribou is the smallest of all North American caribou species measuring 1.4 m and weighing 60 kg for females, and 1.7 m and 110 kg for males.
Both the male and female Peary Caribou have antlers, just like other reindeer. The males antlers grow from March to August, and the females antlers grow from June to September. During the winter months, the Peary Caribou sports a thick, white coat, but in the summer it becomes a light gray, and thins out.
The Peary Caribou take 2 to 3 years to mature sexually (2 for males and 3 for females). Their breeding season is the fall. After 7 to 8 months, the female will give birth to a single calf.
Grasses, lichen, moss and mushrooms make up the majority of the food for the Peary Caribou. One food in particular is the Purple Saxifrage, which turns their muzzle purple in the summer. In the winter, they need to dig through the snow to find food, and their hooves are shaped like a shovel to assist in this.
Peary Caribou do not tend to travel further than 100 miles in between their winter and summer feeding and living areas, and when they do so, it’s in a group no larger than 12 individuals. Their natural predator is the Arctic Wolf, but the Peary Caribou can outrun, and out swim them.
As mentioned, the Peary Caribou is an endangered species. Their latest population count in 2004 was estimated at 1000. This is down from about 40000 in 1961. The most likely cause in the population drop is increasingly freezing temperatures, making it harder for the Peary Caribou to find food.
Peary Caribou Statistics
Conservation Status: Endangered
Average Length: 1.4 m (female), 1.7 m (male)
Average Weight: 60 kg (female), 110 kg (male)
Distribution: Northern Canada (Arctic Islands; Nunavut and Northwest Territories)
Peary Caribou Classification
| - Kingdom: Animalia |
| - Phylum: Chordata |
| - Class: Mammalia |
| - Subclass: Theria |
| - Order: Artiodactyla |
| - Family: Cervidae |
| - Subfamily: Odocoilinae |
| - Genus: Rangifer |
| - Species: Rangifer tarandus |
| - Subspecies: Rangifer tarandus pearyi |