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Animal ID Challenge - Caribou

By Laura Klappenbach, About.com

Moose, Caribou, or Mule Deer?

Pictured above: (A) caribou, (B) American moose, and (C) mule deer.

Photos © Getty Images and iStockphoto.

The animal in the photo (A) is a caribou (Rangifer tarandus). Caribou, also known as reindeer, inhabit boreal forests and tundra of North America, Siberia, and Europe. Caribou are the only members of the deer family in which both males and females possess antlers. The antlers of male caribou are much larger in size than those of females. Antler structure varies among the caribou subspecies, with the woodland subspecies having thicker and broader antlers than their barren-ground cousins.

Photo (B) shows an American moose (Alces americanus). The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Moose have a long head, flexible upper lip and nose, and large ears. Like caribou, moose have a dewlap that hangs from their throat. The two species can be distinguished by their antlers, moose antlers are flattened and palmate, while caribou have more branched, twig-like antlers. Female moose do not grow antlers.

Photo (C) shows a mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Mule deer inhabit the western portion of North America. The antlers of mule deer fork, and only males grow antlers. Mule deer do not have a dewlap.

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