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Caribou

Rangifer tarandus

Mammal · family Cervidae · order Artiodactyla

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Caribou
Photo: Dean Biggins (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
2 states[3]
Longest recorded life
21.8 years[4]

The caribou (Rangifer tarandus), also called reindeer, is a hoofed mammal in the deer family[5][6]. It is native to Alaska and Washington and is ranked Secure worldwide[3][2].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the caribou a global rank of G5, which means Secure, and a US national rank of N4, Apparently Secure[2][7]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable[8]. The caribou is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data checked on 2026-10-30[1].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[7] N4 (Apparently Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[8] Vulnerable

Where Caribou lives

NatureServe lists the caribou as native in Alaska and Washington[3]. It is ranked as extirpated or possibly extirpated, meaning gone or possibly gone, in Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Wisconsin[9]. A state list shows where NatureServe records the animal, not a promise that you will see one there[3].

Alaska: native, state rank S5AKMaine: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXMEWisconsin: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXWIVermont: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXVTNew Hampshire: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXNHWashington: native, state rank S1WAIdaho: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXIDMontana: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXMTNorth Dakota: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXNDMinnesota: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXMINew York: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (12 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaS5Secure
IdahoSXPresumed Extirpated
MaineSXPresumed Extirpated
MichiganSXPresumed Extirpated
MinnesotaSXPresumed Extirpated
MontanaSXPresumed Extirpated
New HampshireSXPresumed Extirpated
New YorkSXPresumed Extirpated
North DakotaSXPresumed Extirpated
VermontSXPresumed Extirpated
WashingtonS1Critically Imperiled
WisconsinSXPresumed Extirpated

Habitat

Caribou live in many kinds of places, including conifer forest, conifer woodland, alpine areas, tundra, bogs and fens, and streamside areas[11]. Some herds in Alaska move between forest in winter and tundra in summer[12]. In summer, woodland caribou use open or partly open places where plants such as forbs and sedges grow[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

Caribou are plant eaters[13]. Their food can include leaves, buds, bark, grasses, sedges, fungi and lichens, and lichens matter a great deal in winter in most areas[14]. A typical caribou is about 210 cm (83 in) long and an adult weighs about 270 kg (595 lb)[15][16]. Cows usually bear 1 young in May or June, and newborn calves can soon walk[17]. The oldest known caribou in the AnAge database lived in captivity[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 210 cm (83 in)
Typical adult weight[16] 270 kg (595 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 21.8 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[18] 1
Gestation or incubation[19] 228 days
Female maturity[20] 662 days (about 1.8 years)
Food habits[13] Herbivore
Active[21] diurnal
Migration[22] non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[23]

  • 100% other plant material

When to look for it

Caribou are active mostly in daylight or at dawn and dusk[24][25]. Some populations migrate between summer and winter ranges, and tundra populations may travel especially far[26]. Breeding happens in late September and October[17]. Observation records on GBIF peak in June, August and September, but they reflect when people look and report, not how many animals there are[27].

January: 123 recordsJanFebruary: 78 recordsFebMarch: 195 recordsMarApril: 227 recordsAprMay: 275 recordsMayJune: 545 recordsJunJuly: 451 recordsJulAugust: 503 recordsAugSeptember: 823 recordsSepOctober: 260 recordsOctNovember: 120 recordsNovDecember: 134 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[27].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January123
February78
March195
April227
May275
June545
July451
August503
September823
October260
November120
December134

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Caribou as present in 11 park units[28]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Alaska, Maine, Kentucky, West Virginia, Minnesota[29]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the caribou endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, Secure, worldwide, while the IUCN category recorded is Vulnerable[2][8].
Where do caribou live in the US?
NatureServe lists them as native in Alaska and Washington[3]. They are ranked as extirpated or possibly extirpated in several other states, including Maine and Minnesota[9].
What do caribou eat?
They eat plants, including leaves, buds, bark, grasses, sedges, fungi and lichens[14]. Lichens are very important in winter in most areas[14].
How big is a caribou?
A typical caribou is about 210 cm (83 in) long, and an adult weighs about 270 kg (595 lb)[15][16].
How long do caribou live?
The oldest known caribou in the AnAge database lived in captivity[4]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Caribou is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Caribou: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Caribou as native in 2 US states and territories: Alaska, Washington. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 21.8 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a mammal in the family Cervidae, order Artiodactyla. NatureServe Explorer
  6. Other English names listed by NatureServe for Caribou: Reindeer. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  8. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Vulnerable. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe ranks Caribou as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Caribou (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Caribou: Forest - conifer, Woodland - conifer, Alpine, Tundra, Bog/fen, Riparian. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Caribou. NatureServe Explorer
  13. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Herbivore. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Caribou. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 210 cm (83 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 270 kg (595 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  17. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Caribou. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 1. AnAge
  19. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 228 days. AnAge
  20. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 662 days (about 1.8 years). AnAge
  21. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: diurnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  22. NatureServe migration category for Caribou: non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  23. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 100% other plant material. EltonTraits 1.0
  24. NatureServe notes on phenology for Caribou. NatureServe Explorer
  25. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  26. NatureServe notes on migration for Caribou. NatureServe Explorer
  27. GBIF observation records of Caribou in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  28. NPSpecies park lists recording Caribou as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  29. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Caribou: Alaska, Maine, Kentucky, West Virginia, Minnesota. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Dean Biggins (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.