The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as caribou in North America, is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. Even though they are mythical reindeer we’re talking about, there’s actual evidence to support the femme-centric reindeer theory—and it’s all about the antlers. HE'S normally the centre of attention because of the shiny facial feature... but could there be even more to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer than meets the eye? But now kids love this character and especially the siege of toys which they carry with Santa. Therefore, female reindeer are heartier and better prepared for a cheery romp around the world. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Adult female reindeer with antlers in velvet (Rangifer tarandus), walking across upland moor in the Cairngorms, Scotland. Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, a Texas A&M University veterinary professor, notes how both female and male reindeer grow antlers, an quality exclusive to … Reindeer and caribou are even further distinctive – females as well as males have antlers, leading some cynics to the controversial idea that Rudolph may … “Santa doesn’t know Zoology: Both male & female… 78. Rudolph the Sexist Reindeer. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Before we rest our case, there’s actually another practical reason for Santa to have hitched his harnesses to an estrogen-powered team: Female reindeer have about a 45% greater fat-to-body-mass ratio than their male counterparts. I think it's nicest to think that Rudolph was a female!". 03 November 2009 • 07:00 am . Previously, we revealed the truth about Santa Claus: the Christmas icon was very real - although he's been dead for centuries. Rudolph the red nosed reindeer is actually female, scientists have said. While many folks can reel off their names by rote, did you know there’s a pretty good chance that Santa’s entire reindeer posse is female? But all male Reindeer lose their antlers in the late fall, well-before Christmas. $36.78 $ 36. January 6: Expect a surge of cash confidence as Mars shifts signs, Can you name the celeb just from a bum snap? #8, 3 Ways to Deal With the Anxiety of a New Situation – Those FFTs of Life (‘Effing First Times), Interview with the Amazing Emmanuel Kelly, Plus the Top Good News of the Week (Ep.#6) – GNN Podcast, The GNN Paperback Book: “And Now, The Good News”, The Heartwarming Feel-Good Book We All Need. "Rudolph could be a castrated male, or a female,” added Professor Lincoln. Rudolph the red nosed reindeer is a female. Female reindeer from Rudolph. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. It is the youngest of Santa Claus reindeer. KIDS PREFERRED Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer On The Go Teether Developmental Activity Toy. Well, you female reindeer aren't allowed to play those reindeer games either, but … Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen..... had to be a female. Vixen is the name of a female fox, often associated with strong and powerful women. Rudolph is a fictional animated reindeer with a red nose to guide Santa’s squad. Professor Lincoln said: "Male reindeer actually cast their antlers before Christmas, so they don't have any antlers at Christmas time. Clarice Female Reindeer Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Plush Musical Song Lights up Red Cheeks 10" Tall. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, The most common depiction of Rudolph features the glowing snout and majestic antlers, Male reindeer shed their antlers before mid-December, meaning only the females have them at Christmas, If Rudolph were a bloke, she'd have no antlers at Christmas, unlike female reindeer, Father Christmas and Rudolph fly to Space, why red and green are considered to be traditional Christmas colours, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). It seems that male reindeer shed theirs in early December, just after the mating season, while female reindeer retain their headgear all winter long. Rudolph wasn't allowed to play the reindeer games, a fact that made him so upset that he ran away from home. "They have their mating season in autumn when they use their antlers to fight, but once it finishes they cast them.". Female Reindeer. Rangifer herd size varies greatly in different geographic regions. Though the shedding schedule of a deer’s antlers can be affected by climate and age, most male reindeer lose their horns in the Winter, which, incidentally, is … In stock on December 31, 2020. But reindeer are the only species in which the females also grow antlers, and an explanation can be found by looking at bovids, a closely related family including antelopes, goats and sheep. “Reindeer go to great lengths to seek out the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) and eating the fungi makes them behave drunkenly, run about aimlessly and make strange noises.”. Apparently, if a male reindeer is castrated, it stops the process of casting the antlers, thus he becomes more like a female. We can all picture the Christmassy critter standing there with the glowing snout and majestic antlers at the front of Santa's sleigh. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Otherwise, that … People take them too. Well, as it turns out, Rudolph, created in 1939 by department-store copywriter Robert L. May, may in fact be the only male reindeer in the bunch. They eat it and then probably think they are flying the Northern Lights. With the holiday season just behind us, we’re all probably a little tired of Christmas movies. Edinburgh University professors Gerald Lincoln and David Baird told the Telegraph there's no way that Rudolph can be a fella because male reindeer shed their antlers before mid-December. I’m sure executives in Hollywood took notice and Rudolph’s gender will be changed next year. "Santa doesn’t know Zoology: Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers. Vixen is the name of a female fox, often associated with strong and powerful women. So if you wanted to fly, why not imagine the wild reindeer are pulling your sleigh across the northern lights, maybe you’re dressing in a warm fur coat of red and white, just like the mushrooms you consumed. In pretty much every depiction of St. Nick making his iconic Christmas Eve run, the team pulling his sleigh are sporting antlers, ergo, said reindeer are female. Rudolph was almost named Rollo or Reginald, before being scripted as … “So Santa’s reindeer, which all sport antlers, are therefore all female, which means Rudolf has been misgendered,” Tyson concluded. “Rudolph could be a castrated male, or a female. Vixen is the name of a female fox, often associated with strong and powerful women. Apparently, if a male reindeer is castrated, it stops the process of casting the antlers, thus he becomes more like a female. In an article for Live Science, Physiologist Perry Barboza of the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, who studies the creatures and their close cousins, the caribou, likens female reindeer to “seals on hooves,” since seals are similarly equipped with toasty internal padding. View our online Press Pack. Santa doesn’t know Zoology: Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers. The Professor added: "Rudolph could be a castrated male, or a female. Okay, okay, so maybe the main reindeer squadron is female, but what about Rudolph, you ask? We also revealed the real reason why red and green are considered to be traditional Christmas colours. Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. However, males shed it quite early in the winter start whereas females keep it until spring. “I think it's nicest to think that Rudolph was a female!" News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. RELATED: Santa’s Been Named An Essential Worker and to Boost His Christmas Cheer Everyone is Ringing a Bell Outside at 6pm. There is a big story behind Rudolph. “Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers. Special Discount on Bulk Orders of ‘Good News’ Books. Well, it turns out that we've all be adding to poor Rudolph's misery by getting the famous reindeer's gender wrong all along - despite the popular song's lyrics, he is actually a she. Take our quiz to find out, Grim footage shows why you shouldn't use face wipes to remove your foundation, Ex-Nike worker reveals how you can get a FREE pair of trainers, Freebie Queen reveals how she bagged £1.4k of designer products for FREE, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. LOOK: He Cajoled 17 Dachshunds into Christmas Sweaters For Best Family Photo Ever, But there’s one thing we’ll say, ere you click off our site, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!”, SHARE the Fun Puzzle of This Christmas Mystery Loud and Clear…. Perhaps it's time to give the famous song lyrics a bit of a tweak. 4.8 out of 5 stars 39. Does Your Nutrition Company Feed Hungry Kids at the Same Time? You neglected to mention that the reindeer can fly, or should I say get high, due to a hallucinogenic fungus that grows in the arctic. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Well, as it turns out, Rudolph, created in 1939 by department-store … Before finding fame in song as well as on film and television, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was the hero of what amounts to an anti-bullying-themed children’s story. It turns out that we've all be adding to poor Rudolph's misery by getting the famous reindeer's gender wrong: despite the popular song's lyrics, he is actually a she. 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This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. We’ll leave that up to you. But it's this common depiction of Rudolph proudly posing with her antlers aloft which gives the game away and proves that the reindeer is a girl. So it must be female as in reindeer both sexes grow antlers. Santa doesn’t know Zoology: Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers. Among lady reindeer, antlers are most commonly ditched in spring, growing them back in time for winter when they need them to compete with other females for food. This includes both sedentary and migratory populations. Believe it or not, both male and female reindeer grow antlers, and despite the depiction of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, (and Rudolph) as males in most media; they are most likely females. This reindeer-sun-bird imagery can symbolize the female shaman’s soul transformation from human to deer, from earth of the middle world to higher gates of the middle world and even the lower world.” Mesolithic female shaman of Bad Dürrenberg, 7000-6500 bce, with reconstructed regalia from animal bones, horns, teeth, and shells. But the prevailing theory is that Santa has an all-girl team, complete with the shiny red-nosed Rudolph. It’s true. Other than females, castrated males are the only reindeer who keep their antlers into late December. But all male Reindeer lose their antlers in the late fall, well-before Christmas,” observed Tyson, before offering his followers the big kicker: “So Santa’s reindeer, which all sport antlers, are therefore all female, which means Rudolf has been misgendered.” Santa doesn’t know Zoology: Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers. In the book’s original cover art, Rudolph’s red nose may be shining beacon-bright—but he’s not sporting antlers, only cute little nubbins. At first, it was greatly criticized for its luminous red nose. All joking aside, we thought this was a fun bit of wildlife trivia. This extra tissue serves as insulation that keeps them warm in frigid conditions as low as minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 43 degrees Celsius), and baby, it’s cold outside—especially in the upper atmosphere. So, is Rudolph’s antler deficit due to the fact he’s a juvenile reindeer… or is it because he’s a boy? But all male Reindeer lose their antlers in the late fall, well-before Christmas. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Not exactly good animal husbandry. Rudolph was almost named Rollo or Reginald, before being scripted as … Female reindeer, however, retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. “Rudolph could be a castrated male, or a female. But it's this common depiction of Rudolph proudly posing with her antlers aloft which gives the game away and proves that the reindeer is a girl. So, it would be female. So while the mainstream media would have you believe Rudolph and … The names aren’t gender-specific—Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (“Donder” in the original Clement Moore poem), and Blitzen—and we’re guessing savvy St. Nick wisely opted for an all-girl sled-pulling squad on purpose. Yep, Santa’s reindeer just might be female and don’t mind stopping for directions. 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There's one other explanation for Rudolph's mystery antlers, but it's probably best not to tell the kids about it. … Many, it seems, are tired of one specific movie: Rankin/Bass' "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".As a young child, I had my mother record this on VHS and I would watch it on loop until well into January. Of course, the extra fat layer means extra weight, so how do the female reindeer manage to fly so fast while hauling a prodigiously not-so-slim man and the world’s largest sack of toys? The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Science author Neil deGrasse Tyson took to Twitter on Christmas Eve to share that, in his view, it isn’t scientifically possible for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the flying reindeer with a glowing nose that Santa Claus trusts to help him deliver presents every year, to be male. 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