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Spoiler alert: Flight is not on this list.

So, we’ll just continue to chalk that one up to the magic of the season or whatever, but here are fifteen other fascinating facts about reindeer to fill those awkward pauses at the office holiday party, courtesy of the Mother Nature Network.

1. Reindeer and caribou are the same thing (maybe kind of?)

There have been differing opinions about whether or not reindeer and caribou are one and the same. But a genetic mapping published in Nature Climate Change about the species Rangifer tarandus (which includes caribou and reindeer) shows the migration pattern of these mammals over the last 21,000 years, and claims that they are different animals — but closely related cousins. Don Moore, a wildlife biologist for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, describes reindeer as a “mostly-domesticated race of caribou.”

2. They have smart feet

Since they can’t change from sandals to boots, reindeer do the next best thing. In the summer their footpads become sponge-like and provide extra traction for the soft tundra. In the winter, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the hoof rim, which cuts into the ice and snow and allows them to dig as well.

3. Females have antler power!
Unique among the more than 45 species of deer, female reindeer grow antlers too. Males shed their antlers in early winter and females shed theirs much later, meaning that Santa’s sleigh is likely powered by a group of she-deer!

Full story at MNN.

Can never learn enough about animals!

Graphics credit: Canva