What you need to know about reindeer
It's the most wonderful time of the year, as people across the land snuggle up under the covers, waiting to hear the clip-clop of reindeer hooves landing on the roof above.
But amongst the myth, and the folklore, what do we actually know about reindeer? Well, here at BBC Bitesize, we've put together this fulsome feast of reindeer facts - from what they eat, to where they live, to how they survive the year round.
And, for a bit of extra festive fun, try our reindeer quiz, and see how many of Santa's hairy helpers you can name in 60 seconds!
Are reindeer real?
It's perhaps unsurprising, due to their starring role in many fantastical festive stories, that there's some uncertainty about the reality of reindeer's existence.
But we're here to confirm that yes, reindeer are real - even if you might not have seen one! Reindeer prefer to spend their time in colder environments, so running across one isn't common, but that hasn't stopped us learning a whole host of wonderful facts about them.
While they might not actually fly (well, most of them, anyway), reindeer can do all manner of extraordinary things. Unlike humans, reindeer can see UV light with the naked eye, helping them to avoid predators and find food in snowy climes. They're also fantastic swimmers and can run at speeds of up to 80km per hour.
How many reindeer does Santa have?
According to common folklore, Santa's sleigh is pulled through the sky by a team of nine reindeer.
Eight are harnessed in pairs in a two-by-two formation, with one lone reindeer leading the way - shining through the night with a bright red nose.
But how many of Santa's reindeer can you name - take our quiz below to find out!
Quiz: Can you name all of Santa's reindeer in 60 seconds?
Where are reindeer native to?
Reindeer tend to live in the Arctic tundra - a cold, treeless region in the far northern hemisphere surrounding the Arctic Circle. Reindeer can be found in places like Greenland, Scandinavia, Alaska and Canada.
In the USA, some reindeer are instead known as Caribou, with both reindeer and Caribou going by the scientific name Rangifer tarandus. Despite being the same species, there are some differences between the two. All Caribou are considered wild animals, while reindeer can be domesticated and semi-domesticated.
This means reindeer can be owned and used for tasks such as load carrying and sleigh pulling.
What do reindeer eat?
It's become something of a tradition to leave carrots out for Rudolph on Christmas night, with some supermarkets even doing giveaways to prevent produce going to waste. But, as it turns out, carrots aren't a favourite of reindeer at all, with their lack of top teeth making the orange snack pretty difficult to chew.
In reality, reindeer's favourite feast is lichen, a moss-like fungus often found in reindeer habitats. They enjoy lichen so much, it's become common parlance to refer to it as 'reindeer lichen' or 'reindeer moss'.
Reindeer will also eat grasses, shoots, leaves and other forms of vegetation - with adults eating up to 8kg of veg per day!
Why do reindeer click when they walk?
Mariah Carey's iconic Christmas classic, 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', makes mention of reindeer's click - but what exactly did she mean?
Well, reindeer actually do make a clicking sound when they walk, and not just when they land on a rooftop! This is because of a tendon that snaps over the bone of their back feet with every step.
What may surprise you, however, is that this is actually a survival mechanism. Reindeers use these clicks to stay together as a herd, relying on strength in numbers to keep them safe from any lurking predators.
Among their many survival tactics is the reindeer cyclone, which you can find a little more about below…
What is a reindeer cyclone?
A reindeer cyclone is when a herd of reindeer run together in a circular motion, creating a spiral/cyclone shape when seen from above.
Aside from looking awesome (I mean, seriously, look at it!), the tactic actually has a survival purpose. By moving in unison, at pretty high speeds, the reindeer cyclone makes it difficult for predators to get at a singular target.
Generally, stronger, adult reindeers will run along the outside of the spiral, with younger reindeer staying closer to the 'eye of the storm'.
This article was written in December 2025