• Home
  • Coniferous Animals
  • Coniferous Trees
  • About Coniferous Forest
  • Contact
Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Woodland Caribou

Woodland Caribou

Woodland caribou or the boreal woodland caribou is the largest subspecies of caribou, a group of mammals belonging to the deer family. These medium-sized ungulates, native to the Northern United States and Canada, are characterized by a compact body with a thick covering of fur, short, wide ears, blunt muzzle, and a tiny tail.

The antlers of woodland caribou are broader, thicker, as well as more compact and flattened compared to those of barren-ground caribou, while their heads and legs are also longer than the latter.

Woodland Caribou

Woodland Caribou

Scientific Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyCervidae
GenusRangifer
SpeciesR. tarandus
Scientific NameRangifer tarandus caribou
Woodland Caribou Images

Woodland Caribou Images

Quick Information

Other NamesForest-dwelling caribou, woodland caribou (boreal group)
SizeMales are larger; the average height is 1.2m (4 ft) at the shoulder; length is 1.8m (6 ft)
Weight250-700 lbs (113-318 kg)
ColorCreamy white mane, neck, underbelly, shoulder; patches appear above the hooves; their coat is dark brown in summer, turning gray in winter
DistributionThe Selkirk Mountain Range covering eastern Washington, extreme northern Idaho, and British Columbia; Mackenzie River Delta region in Northwest Territories; Yukon, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and Labrador, and Quebec
HabitatBoreal forests, mountains, and tundra areas; in winter, they are found in mature coniferous forests
SoundsFemale caribous are quite vocal when giving birth, as well as in early summer when they communicate with their calves; the males are heard only during mating season (rut), their vocalizations being less harsh than their female counterparts
LifespanMay survive for up to 10-15 years in their natural habitat
DietFeed on both terrestrial and arboreal lichens; also eat small shrubs, dried sedges, leaves of willows, and flowering tundra plants
AdaptationsLarge curved-sickle hooves of woodland caribou change shape in every season, facilitating them to walk in snow, swamps, and peats, as also to find ground lichens by digging through the snow; their keen sense of smell aids them in locating food beneath snow; the thick layer of hollow guard hairs minimizes loss of heat through the skin, as well as keeps them afloat in the water, making them excellent swimmers
Diseases and ParasitesInsects such as horseflies, warble flies, deer flies, black flies, mountain pine beetle, and mosquitoes are responsible for transmission of diseases; parasites including Echinococcus granulosus, Parelaphostrongylus andersoni, P. tenuis, and Elaphostrongylus rangiferi are some of the threats to woodland caribou
Weight at birthAbout 13 lbs (6 kg)
Number of offspringsOne calf
Gestation PeriodAround 230 days
PredatorsCoyotes, lynx, cougar, wolves, and bears prey on boreal caribou, specifically the calves
Conservation Status
  • In the US: “Critically Endangered”
  • SARA status: “Threatened”
  • COSEWIC designation: “Threatened”
Why are woodland caribou endangeredPopulations of woodland caribou have decreased due to human-induced destruction of habitats (influenced by constructions of roads, spread of mining and agriculture, forestry practices), predation, and hunting
Woodland Caribou Habitat

Woodland Caribou Habitat

Behavior

These caribous do not live in large herds, and their groups remain scattered during mating season. Some woodland caribou populations migrate over short distances with the changing seasons, exhibiting elevational migration. They move up into the alpine mountain slopes during summer while forming isolated herds in the boreal forests during winter.

Some of them also adopt a unique survival strategy living in areas, which are unsuitable for elk and deer populations. Therefore, their habitat attracts a lesser number of wolves, bears, and lynxes, reducing the chances of predation on them.

Woodland Caribou Pictures

Woodland Caribou Pictures

Woodland Caribou Antlers

Woodland Caribou Antlers

Mating and Reproduction

As compared to some of the other species in the deer family, these caribous have a lower rate of reproduction. A male woodland caribou can mate with more than one female during their breeding season, which lasts from the end of September to mid-October. The male caribous with large antlers fight during rut for the mating rights. A female caribou of a boreal group gives birth to its calf and remains isolated from the other members of the herd until mid-winter. Thus, these solitary caribous are more likely to be preyed upon than those that migrate during the winter.

Baby Woodland Caribou

Baby Woodland Caribou

Life Cycle

The mother caribou gives birth to its offspring in early or mid-June. Weaning occurs around 2 months after birth, with the calves joining the rest of the herd during fall. Female caribous attain sexual maturity at 16 months while the males do the same at around 18 months. However, males do not mate until they are 3-4 years of age because of intrasexual selection.

Woodland Caribou Snow

Woodland Caribou Snow

Caribou Woodland

Caribou Woodland

Interesting Facts

  • The graphic representation of woodland caribou on the opposite face of the 25-cent Canadian circulation coin, created by Emanuel Otto Hahn, first appeared on the quarter coins in 1937.
  • Some mountain caribou herds, including the Leaf River and the George River herds, migrate thousands of miles north and south of their breeding range.
  • Both the male and female woodland caribou are known to shed their old antlers and grow new ones every year. However, some females may not have them at all.

References

  1. https://defenders.org/wildlife/caribou
  2. https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/rangifer-tarandusf
  3. https://yukon.ca/en/woodland-caribou
  4. https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/wildlife/snp/programs/education/animal-facts/mammals/caribou/

Published on January 5th 2016 by admin under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 5th December 2024.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

57 − 55 =

    • Recent Posts

      • Cedar Tree of Lebanon
      • Eastern Red Cedar
      • Black-backed Woodpecker
      • Eastern Gray Squirrel
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Norway Spruce
      • Douglas Squirrel
      • Northern Goshawk
      • Bighorn Sheep
      • Eastern Milk Snake
      • Ovenbird
      • California Redwood
      • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
      • Foxtail Pine
      • Snow Goose
    • Categories

      • Coniferous Forest Animals
      • Coniferous Trees
        • Cedar
        • Cypress
        • Fir
        • Hemlock
        • Juniper
        • Larch
        • Pine
        • Spruce
        • Yew

© 2025 (Coniferous Forest). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

  • Privacy Policy