Reindeer have very distinct droppings that reveal more than you may realize. From what they eat to where they migrate, reindeer poop is incredibly telling. Here’s what you can learn from their feces.
1. It has a pointy end.
Reindeer droppings are much like regular deer droppings. They can be round or oval-shaped, and they have a pointy end. The small bullet-like droppings are typically dropped in batches of 50-80 pellets per excretion. If it’s moist and intact, it’s likely fresh. If it’s dried and cracked, it has likely been there for a while.
The diet of the reindeer determines the poop’s color. It could be black, brown, and sometimes green.
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2. The poop qualities change with the seasons.
As with humans, what a reindeer eats can impact the appearance and qualities of its poop. In winter, reindeer primarily eat lichen and other fibrous plants. This results in firmer, darker pellets. In the summer, however, reindeer eat more green vegetation like grasses and shrubs. This makes the poop softer, lighter, and larger.
3. Reindeer poop can burn grass.
Reindeer droppings contain nitrogen, which enriches the soil and helps grow moss, grass, and lichen. It also, however, can cause nitrogen overload in places they frequently poop. This overload can smother or burn the grass.
4. Their poop doesn’t smell.
Reindeer are unusual in that their poop doesn’t smell. This is because their diet consists largely of lichen and moss, both of which are low-odor. This type of organic diet is easier to process and therefore produces little smell. The lack of smell protects them from predators, who would otherwise track their scent.
5. Reindeer poop helps researchers track migration patterns.
Researchers looking to map migrating populations of reindeer can track their droppings. This can help with population assessments as well.
Reindeer droppings can indicate the overall health of a reindeer population.
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6. Poop color and consistency provides health insights.
The color and consistency of reindeer poop can indicate what the animals are eating and if there are any nutrient deficiencies, signs of disease, or stress indicators.
7. Reindeer poop is flammable.
Indigenous people have been known to dry reindeer poop and use it as a fire starter.
Want more poop scoop? Check out this article on deer poop.
