Tag velvet

Finnish Forest Reindeer

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The Finnish Forest Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) is a large ungulate (hoofed) mammal in the deer family. It is a sub-species of the Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It is also known as the European Forest Reindeer. It is an artiodactyl because it has cloven (split) hooves.

The Finnish Forest Reindeer has dark-brown to light-brown fur. Its coat has two layers of fur – a thick woolly undercoat and a longer-haired overcoat. It has long legs with wide, crescent-shaped, cloven hooves for walking across deep snow. It has white hair around its short tail. 

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Wapiti

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The Wapiti (Cervus canadensis) is also called a Canadian Elk. It is one of the largest species in the deer family in the world. The term Wapiti is from the Shawnee and Cree word meaning ‘white rump.’

The Wapiti is an ungulate because it has hooves, similar to camel, goat, or cattle. Only the male has antlers, which are made of bone, and are covered with a soft layer of skin, called velvet. Velvet is shed in summer. The Wapiti can have various colours of brown, grey, or reddish fur, which grows thicker in winter to keep it warm. It has a small white rump patch, with a short tail.

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