Svalbard reindeer, Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus, grazing on icy ground, Longyearbyen

Description

Reindeer have a circumpolar distribution with several subspecies in different areas. The Svalbard reindeer is a small subspecies of Rangifer tarandus. 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 www.npolar.no/en/the-arctic/birds-and-mammals/svalbard-re…. Rain in winter on frozen grounds provide difficult feeding conditions for reindeer. Climate change may contribute to icing of feeding grounds and thereby threaten local populations.