CARIBOU

1. WHERE IT LIVES

The Barren Ground caribou lives in the northern forests and migrates to the tundra. Peary's caribou live on the islands in the far north.

2. APPEARANCE

Caribou look a lot like deer.

3. FOOD

They eat grasses, mosses and small arctic plants called lichen.

4.PREDATORS

Arctic wolves eat caribou. The young or sick are the easiest to catch. If a caribou moves away from the herd the wolf pack chases it and surrounds it.

A young calf must become strong so it can run and escape enemies like wolves, bears, and foxes.

5. THE YOUNG

The calves are born covered with warm fur and with their eyes open.
They are able to walk and run soon after birth.

6. INTERESTING FACTS

Caribou live in groups called herds.

The caribou migrate in search of food. In the winter they live in forests on the edge of the Arctic. In spring thousands head for the tundra where the babies ( calves) are born.

During the summer they eat as much as possible to prepare for the winter. Then they can live off the fat that is stored in their bodies.

Caribou are able to walk in the deep snow because they have wide hooves with fur.

They are strong swimmers and can cross rivers and lakes while moving from place to place. The hollow hairs of their coats act like a life jacket and help to keep the animals afloat.

Reindeer are close relatives of the caribou.

Caribou lose their antlers once a year. Then they grow new ones. Both the females and males have antlers. The antlers are used for fighting.

Woodland caribou live farther south.

7. OTHER CARIBOU WEBSITES

How Animals are adapted to live in the Arctic