AnAge entry for Rangifer tarandus
Classification (HAGRID: 02039)
- Taxonomy
-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae (Taxon entry)
Genus: Rangifer
- Species
- Rangifer tarandus
- Common name
- Caribou, or Reindeer
Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
- Maximum longevity
- 21.8 years (captivity)
- Source
- ref. 956
- Sample size
- Large
- Data quality
- High
- Observations
A gradual ageing process has been documented in this species [0548]. Record longevity in captivity is 21.8 years [0956]. Average lifespan in captivity is similar to what is observed in wild populations (10-11 years) [1389].
A study comparing reindeer and 7 other species concluded that the rate of telomere shortening was a strong predictor of lifespan, unlike telomere length [1356].
Life history traits (averages)
- Female sexual maturity
- 662 days
- Male sexual maturity
- 680 days
- Gestation
- 228 days
- Weaning
- Litter size
- 1 (viviparous)
- Litters per year
- 1
- Inter-litter interval
- 365 days
- Weight at birth
- 6,500 g
- Weight at weaning
- Adult weight
- 101,250 g
- Postnatal growth rate
- 0.0047 days-1 (from Gompertz function)
- Maximum longevity residual
- 76%
Metabolism
- Typical body temperature
- 310ºK or 37.2ºC or 99.0ºF
- Basal metabolic rate
- 119.6600 W
- Body mass
- 85000.0 g
- Metabolic rate per body mass
- 0.001408 W/g
References
- [1389] Hoffman and Valencak (2020), A short life on the farm: aging and longevity in agricultural, large-bodied mammals (PubMed)
- [1356] Whittemore et al. (2019), Telomere shortening rate predicts species life span (PubMed)
- [1135] Lemaitre et al. (2013), Comparing free-ranging and captive populations reveals intra-specific variation in aging rates in large herbivores (PubMed)
- [1143] Nussey et al. (2013), Senescence in natural populations of animals: widespread evidence and its implications for bio-gerontology (PubMed)
- [0956] Muller et al. (2010), Relevance of management and feeding regimens on life expectancy in captive deer (PubMed)
- [0951] Jurado et al. (2008), Irregular tooth wear and longevity in captive wild ruminants: a pilot survey of necropsy reports (PubMed)
- [0549] Reimers et al. (2005), Life-history variation of wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the highly productive North Ottadalen region, Norway
- [1011] Sakkinen et al. (2004), The effect of blood sampling method on indicators of physiological stress in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) (PubMed)
- [0036] Savage et al. (2004), The predominance of quarter-power scaling in biology
- [0548] Weladji et al. (2002), Age-related reproductive effort in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): evidence of senescence
- [0434] Ronald Nowak (1999), Walker's Mammals of the World
- [0441] William Burt et al. (1998), A Field Guide to Mammals
- [0344] Anderson et al. (1993), Subclinical lumbar polyradiculopathy, polyneuritis and ganglionitis in aged wild and exotic mammalians (PubMed)
- [0455] Virginia Hayssen et al. (1993), Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction: A Compendium of Species-Specific Data
- [0731] Zullinger et al. (1984), Fitting sigmoid equations to mammalian growth curves
- [0393] Leader-Williams (1979), Age-related changes in the testicular and antler cycles of reindeer, Rangifer tarandus (PubMed)
External Resources
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- ITIS 180701
- Animal Diversity Web
- ADW account (if available)
- Encyclopaedia of Life
- Search EOL
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Taxonomy ID 9870
- Entrez
- Search all databases
- Ageing Literature
- Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
- Images
- Google Image search
- Internet
- Search Google