Question 1

True or false: All caribou populations are stable and not threatened by climate change.

Accepted Answer

False. Many herds are declining due to habitat loss, warming temperatures, and insect harassment linked to climate change.

Question 2

True or false: Both male and female caribou grow antlers, which is rare among deer species.

Accepted Answer

True. Unlike most deer, female caribou also grow antlers, shedding them after calving in spring.

Question 3

True or false: Caribou migrate shorter distances than any other land mammal.

Accepted Answer

False. Actually, caribou undertake one of the longest land migrations, up to 3,000 miles annually.

Question 4

True or false: Caribou and reindeer are the same species, with the name depending on location.

Accepted Answer

True. Both are Rangifer tarandus. In North America, wild ones are caribou; in Eurasia, domesticated ones are reindeer.

Question 5

True or false: Caribou primarily eat grass and berries throughout the year.

Accepted Answer

False. Their winter diet is mostly lichen (reindeer moss), which they dig through snow to find. Grass and berries are summer foods.

Question 6

True or false: Caribou have a specialized nose that warms cold air before it reaches their lungs.

Accepted Answer

False. This is true for many Arctic animals, but caribou actually have a countercurrent heat exchange system in their legs, not nose.

Question 7

True or false: Caribou are the only deer species that can see ultraviolet light.

Accepted Answer

True. Their eyes detect UV light, helping them spot predators against snow and find lichen under white surfaces.

Question 8

True or false: Caribou hooves change shape seasonally to adapt to snow and soft tundra.

Accepted Answer

True. Their hooves shrink and harden in winter for digging through snow, and widen in summer for boggy ground.

Caribou Trivia Questions