Rangifer

Rangifer is a genus of deer, family Cervidae, subfamily Capreolinae, tribe Odocoileini, order Artiodactyla, containing the reindeer or caribou, Rangifer tarandus, as its only living representative. The species has a circumpolar distribution across Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal and mountainous regions of northern Europe, Siberia and North America, occurring in both migratory and sedentary populations whose herd sizes vary considerably by region. Reindeer are the only deer species successfully semi-domesticated on a large scale, and have supplied Arctic peoples with food, clothing and shelter since prehistoric times. Unusually among deer, both sexes are capable of growing antlers annually, though the prevalence of antlered females varies by subspecies; the genus also shows a broad muzzle adapted to warm inhaled air and short legs suited to long-distance migration. Traditional taxonomy treats Rangifer as a single species, though recent genetic analysis has been argued to support splitting it into as many as six.