Focus on the caribou, an emblematic Canadian animal

The caribou is a mammal belonging to the family of Deer. Its dark brown color makes it easy to identify. Its belly, mane and neck are creamy white. In this article, you will discover the three species of caribou in Canada. Zoom in on this emblematic Canadian animal!

Generally, the size and weight depend on the subspecies to which the caribou belong. In this way, the approximate weight of males can reach from 125 to 275 kg, that of females varies from 90 to 139 kg. Newborns, for their part, weigh from 5 to 9 kg. These animals are among the most symbolic ruminants in Canada. Both sexes wear antlers (antlers in Quebec) on their heads that they lose in the fall season. The blood vessels, which are found in the antlers, ensure their development. The large hooves are equipped with a tuft of hair located between the toes. They act as natural snowshoes when walking on snow-covered terrain. This animal adapts perfectly to its environment; it retains heat thanks to its stocky and short body. It moves easily in the snow thanks to its long legs. Its thick and long fur forms an effective insulator, even during seasons of strong winds and low temperatures. Its tail and muzzle are short and well covered with hair.

Caribou are found in North America, but also in the northern regions of Quebec.

Caribou feed mainly on bark, bushes, grass and lichens. These deer must rummage indiscreetly under the snow in order to feed themselves. To meet their needs, they move from one region to another, depending on the seasons.

Caribou are mature when they reach the age of 2 and a half years. On average, the female's gestation period is eight months. She can give birth to one or two caribou. Many of them cannot withstand the cold and snow.

The lifespan of a caribou in the wild can reach 12 to 15 years. While in captivity, it can live up to 20 years.

The caribou is able to move through water using its hollow hair.

The woodland caribou is a deer whose adult weight is between 80 and 205 kg, depending on the sex. The weight of the female woodland caribou is less than that of the male. The caribou has long legs with large concave hooves. The latter are divided in two, and help it in its movement in snowy terrain and also facilitate the search for any substance that serves as its food. Compared to other species, its size is clearly larger and its color is darker.

Woodland caribou usually pass through the northern or boreal forests from the Yukon Territory and British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador. In the high-land areas of western Canada, woodland caribou range from wintering on sloping topographic surfaces between high points to summering on alpine tundra. In the flatter boreal forest areas further east, many caribou of this subspecies camp on mature forests. They occupy bogs, wet lowlands, and fens.

In Quebec, this subspecies of caribou is divided into small groups, otherwise called herds, in a strip of boreal forests of about 500 km. It is located between the 49th and 55th parallel of north latitude. This cervid uses habitat types that vary depending on the serenity of the place, the availability of any substance that ensures its nutrition, the seasons and the risks related to predation.

Depending on the season, some leave one place and go to another for only a few kilometres. Others move a long distance. Some herds fail to follow this trend and make long movements between their geographic environments and their habitats in the tundra, depending on the season. The Leaf River caribou herd, which occupies the northwestern region of Quebec, and the George River caribou herd are among the largest caribou herds in North America. They number 600,000 and 400,000 animals respectively.

This subspecies of caribou is light-coloured and small in size. It is found exclusively on the islands of the Arctic Archipelago, where the population numbers approximately 10,000 animals. Caribou belonging to this subspecies of Canadian caribou do not generally undertake major migrations, although many of them may move from one place to another. This is particularly the case when severe freezing conditions force them to leave or abandon their usual ranges. Under the authority of the Canadian Species at Risk Act, the Peary caribou is classified as endangered. It is also listed as threatened under the Animals in Danger of Extinction Act.

As an adult, the male of this subspecies of caribou measures approximately 110 cm at the withers. Its weight reaches up to 140 kg in the fall, when it is at its peak. This decreases to 100 kg in November, following a month of sexual activity. In winter, the weight of the female becomes approximately 85 kg.

Almost one of the two equal parts of the entire caribou population of Canada is composed of barren-ground caribou. They are less colorful than woodland caribou and are smaller in size. During most or all of the year, they spend the tundra from the interior of Alaska to that of Baffin Island. Many of this subspecies of Canadian caribou, approximately 1 million animals, congregate in 8 large herds. Depending on the season, they make migrations, from the tundra to the taiga. Approximately one hundred and twenty thousand other barren-ground caribou make up the smaller herds that spend the whole year in the open ground characterized by discontinuous vegetation or tundra. Approximately half are enclosed in Baffin Island.