Svalbard reindeer
Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus
N: svalbardrein - Gr: Svalbard-rentier - Fr: renne du Spitzberg
The Svalbard reindeer is a small subspecies of Rangifer tarandus. Males are significantly larger than females and have larger antlers. Males weigh approximately 65 kg in spring and 90 kg in autumn, whereas females weigh approximately 53 kg in spring and 70 kg in autumn. The length of males is 160 cm and females are about 150 cm long. Svalbard reindeer are short-legged and have relatively short, round heads. The coat is brown on the back and light on the belly. During winter the coat is lighter in colour than during summer, often appearing light grey or yellow-white. The thick coat makes even starved animals appear fat in the winter and contributes to the short-legged appearance. The males develop heavy antlers during April-July and shed the velvet during August-September. Males shed their antlers early in the winter. The growth of females' antlers begins in June, and they are usually retained for a whole year.
Distribution
Reindeer have a circumpolar distribution with several subspecies in different areas. The subspecies found in Svalbard is exclusive to this area. Reindeer are found in virtually all non-glaciated parts of the archipelago. They are most dense on Nordenskiöld Land, Edgeøya and Barentsøya. Fifteen animals were introduced to Brøggerhalvøya in 1978. The introduced population grew exponentially to 360 individuals by 1993. This number declined to below 100 individuals during the winter of 1993/94 because of extreme winter conditions that lead to heavy icing of the ground. The decline was due to a combination of mortality and migration out of the area.
Ecology
Svalbard reindeer have a varied diet and will eat almost all types of vegetation, with a few exceptions (such as arctic white-heather). During winter the reindeer concentrate on ridges, mountain slopes, plateaus and other areas with little snow. During summer they are found in areas where there is lush vegetation, often in valleys and lowland plains. At this time of year the reindeer spend most of their time feeding; they accumulate significant amounts of fat during this period. This fat is used during winter when vegetation is less available and of lower quality. Svalbard reindeer rarely occur in groups larger than three to five individuals, except during the rut in late autumn. The Svalbard reindeer has several adaptations that help it to survive the variable climatic conditions and high degree of seasonality in Svalbard. The animals exhibit very sedentary behaviour, which reduces their energy demands, and they have a well-developed ability to use their own reserves (both fat and muscle tissue) when access to food is poor during the winter. They are also well insulated by their fur against the winter cold. Starvation is the most common cause of death. This condition can arise because the animals have worn out their teeth grazing on sparse vegetation among stones and gravel and hence cannot eat, or they can starve during periods with extreme climatic conditions during winter when they cannot get through the snow or ice to find enough food.
Life history and reproduction
Svalbard reindeer mate in October. During the rut the males gather a harem of up to ten females. The females are pregnant for about seven months and give birth to the single calf in June. The calf suckles for about three months, growing rapidly during this time. Calves weigh about three kilogrammes at birth, but can gain seven to eight kilogrammes per month during their first summer. When conditions are favourable females have their first calf at two years of age. Expected lifespan is about ten years, but analyses suggest that some individuals can live up to an age of 18. The variable climatic conditions in Svalbard induce large amounts of variation in survivorship and reproductive rates from year to year. For example, the proportion of mature females that give birth to a calf in a given summer can vary from 10 to 90%.
Management status and monitoring
Reindeer were hunted very heavily in Svalbard from 1860 to 1925, and the population was markedly reduced. The hunt was stopped except for scientific sampling between 1925 and 1983. This period of protection resulted in recovery in numerical terms as well as the surviving reindeer spreading to occupy their former range. There have been no recent systematic efforts to census the whole archipelago, so the total current population size is not known. However, information from large parts of the archipelago, and long-term monitoring from a few specific areas, suggest no indication of a decrease in the number of Svalbard reindeer during recent decades. In Adventdalen, annual monitoring has shown that this area has contained between 400 and 1,100 individuals during the period 1979-2004. The same sort of variation has been documented in part of another valley area in Svalbard – Reindalen. A quota-based hunt takes place each year in designated areas on Nordenskiöld Land. This harvest is believed to have only minor impacts on the reindeer populations in the area.