Barren Ground Caribou by Ghirin

Barren-ground Caribou

Author: Ghirin

The barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti and Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are one of the three varieties of North American caribou. (The other varieties are woodland and Peary.) The Alaskan subspecies (R. t. granti) lives west of the Mackenzie River, while the Canadian subspecies (R. t. groenlandicus) lives east of that river. The name "barren-ground" refers to the artic tundra that these animals live on.

Barren ground caribou are known for their tendency to form large, migrating herds. During the spring and summer months, barren-ground caribou migrate to their calving grounds in the high arctic. They then migrate to southern lands to avoid the harsh winter.

Like other caribou, barren-ground caribou are vegetarians, feeding on young leaves, lichens, grasses, and sedges. When the ground in covered with snow, they will scrape the snow aside with their hooves. This behavior has given the animals their name, derived from the Mi'kmaq term "xalibu" meaning "one who paws".

Created by Ghirin 2004

Updated 2010-10-30

Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.

Nothing new.