FEMALE OF THE SPECIES - REINDEER
BBC Wildlife|December 2023
Lucy Cooke explains why the females of this Christmas icon have antlers too
FEMALE OF THE SPECIES - REINDEER

REINDEER ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH Christmas. But are the antlered beasts that pull Santa's sleigh male or female? Rudolph has antlers, so he must be a male right? Well, it's not that simple. Reindeer are the only species of deer for which males and females both grow a set of seasonal armaments - a bit of detective work is required in order to work out the sleigh-puller's true sex.

This story is from the December 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.

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This story is from the December 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.