關于馴鹿的5個令人驚訝的事實

關于馴鹿的5個令人驚訝的事實

Reindeer are known around the world as the fictional sidekicks of Santa Claus, but in polar and mountainous regions, they are very much real and sometimes abundant. Also often called caribou, this species of deer can be found in the Arctic tundra as well as the boreal forests of northern Europe, Canada, and Alaska. Characterized by their long legs, antlers, and crescent-shaped hooves, they exist in two varieties: tundra reindeer, which migrate thousands of miles seasonally in groups of up to half a million, and forest reindeer, which remain in the woodlands year-round.

馴鹿在世界各地都被認為是圣誕老人虛構的伙伴，但在極地和山區(qū)，它們非常真實，有時還非常豐富。也常被稱為北美馴鹿，這種鹿可以在北極苔原以及北歐、加拿大和阿拉斯加的北方森林中找到。它們的特征是長腿、鹿角和月形蹄子，它們有兩種類型:一種是苔原馴鹿，它們季節(jié)性成群遷徙數(shù)千英里，最多可達50萬;另一種是森林馴鹿，它們?nèi)甓即粼诹值乩铩?/p>

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Outside of folk tales and holiday movies, not much is commonly known about the species. While they may not be able to fly in real life, they can, indeed, swim — and see ultraviolet light, among other talents. Discover what makes these majestic creatures so interesting.

除了民間故事和節(jié)日電影之外，人們對這個物種知之甚少。雖然它們在現(xiàn)實生活中可能無法飛起來，但它們確實會游泳，還能看到紫外線?？纯词鞘裁醋屵@些宏偉的生物如此有趣。

1. Reindeer and Caribou Might Not Actually Be the Same Thing

馴鹿和北美馴鹿可能不是同一種動物

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Although the names are frequently used interchangeably, opinions differ on whether reindeer and caribou are, in fact, one and the same. A genetic mapping published in Nature Climate Change regarding the species Rangifer tarandus (the scientific name for both) shows the migration pattern of these mammals over the last 21,000 years. It claims that reindeer and caribou are different animals — the former inhabiting northern Europe and Asia and the latter North America — albeit closely related cousins. Don Moore, a wildlife biologist for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, has described reindeer as a “mostly domesticated race of caribou."

盡管這兩個名字經(jīng)常互換使用，但對于事實上馴鹿和北美馴鹿是否是同一種動物，人們意見不一。發(fā)表在《自然氣候變化》雜志上的一份關于Rangifer tarandus(兩者的學名)物種的基因圖譜顯示了這些哺乳動物在過去21000年里的遷移模式。報告稱，馴鹿和北美馴鹿是不同的動物——前者居住在北歐和亞洲，后者居住在北美——盡管它們是近親。唐·摩爾是史密森保護生物學研究所的野生生物學家，他將馴鹿描述為“一種主要被馴化的馴鹿種族”。

2. Their Hooves Change With the Seasons

它們的蹄子隨季節(jié)變化

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Because they tend to reside in harsh environments, reindeer undergo a number of physical transformations when the seasons change. During winter, their footpads shrink and tighten, the World Animal Foundation says, exposing the hoof rim so it can cut into ice and snow for traction. In the summer, those pads become sponge-like, ideal for getting around on the soft tundra.

由于它們往往生活在惡劣的環(huán)境中，馴鹿會在季節(jié)變化時經(jīng)歷一系列的物理變化。世界動物基金會說，在冬天，它們的腳墊會收縮收緊，露出蹄緣，這樣就可以在冰雪中切割以獲得牽引力。到了夏天，這些墊子變得像海綿一樣，非常適合在柔軟的苔原上走動。

3. Females Have Antlers, Too

雌性也有鹿角

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Unique among the more than 45 species of deer, both females and males grow antlers. The males use theirs primarily to battle for females whereas the females use theirs primarily to defend for food. Males' get up to about 50 inches long while females' can reach up to 20 inches, according to the San Diego Zoo. Males shed theirs in late fall or early winter, after the rut, but because females are often pregnant during winter and need to defend their food during pregnancy, they retain theirs until spring.

在超過45種的鹿中，雌性和雄性都長鹿角，這是獨一無二的。雄性主要用它們來爭奪雌性而雌性主要用它們來保衛(wèi)食物。根據(jù)圣地亞哥動物園的說法，雄性可以達到50英寸長，而雌性可以達到20英寸長。雄性在發(fā)情期后的晚秋或初冬蛻皮，但由于雌性通常在冬季懷孕，需要在懷孕期間保護食物，所以它們保留它們的食物直到春天。

4. Their Hair Is Hollow

它們的毛發(fā)是中空的

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The denser the better when it comes to fur coats in the Arctic, one would think. However, while reindeer do have thick, wooly undercoats, their top layer consists of longer, tubular hairs. The hollow shafts allow the hairs to trap air, providing insulation to keep the animals warm in frigid environments. The hollowness of their coats is also what gives them their white color.

人們會認為，在北極，毛皮的密度越大越好。然而，雖然馴鹿的內(nèi)毛很厚，毛茸茸的，但它們的表層是較長的管狀毛。這些中空的桿狀毛發(fā)能夠阻隔空氣，為動物在寒冷的環(huán)境中保暖。中空的皮毛也是它們白色的原因。

5. They Can’t Fly, but They Can Swim

它們不會飛，但它們會游泳

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They can often be found crossing the vast Yukon River — the third longest in North America, a half mile wide in parts — mid-migration. They swim strongly across these rough and wide rivers and can swim three times faster than the average human at up to 6 mph — which happens to be Michael Phelps's top speed, too. According to the National Park Service, calves just a couple months old have been documented swimming between islands that are a mile and a half apart.

在遷徙過程中，它們經(jīng)常穿越廣闊的育空河。育空河是北美第三大河，部分河面有半英里寬。它們在這些湍急而寬闊的河流中游刃有力，游得比普通鹿快三倍，最高可達每小時6英里——這也恰好是邁克爾·菲爾普斯的最高速度。據(jù)國家公園管理局稱，據(jù)記錄，只有幾個月大的幼鯨在相距一英里半的島嶼之間游泳。