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Caribou

Caribou or Reindeer line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Caribou or Reindeer full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Caribou was completed on 1.31.10. I was confused as I was unaware that caribou and reindeer were the same animal. Well, after sorting that out I did some sketches and studies of these animals at the Natural History museum of Los Angeles where they have a nice, well lit exhibit of these impressive ungulates. The drawing is the result.

Information about the Caribou:

The Caribou or Reindeer is a deer species native to the arctic and sub-arctic regions. They can be found in the tundra and taiga environments. While their population are steady, there are a few sub-species that have gone extinct. Originally, the reindeer was found in Scandinavia, eastern Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and northern China north of the 50th latitude. In North America, it was found in Canada and Alaska, and the lower northern United States from Washington to Maine. Up until the 19th century, this deer was found in North America as far south as Idaho. Unlike some deer species, both sexes grow antlers. Reindeer are ruminants, having a four-chambered stomach. They mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss. However, they also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses.