Children in Alaska, Canada, Norway and Sweden see reindeer on a regular basis, but these animals are strangers to Southern California. Few people know much about the real animal that roams the coldest areas of our Northern Hemisphere:
* Reindeer live in frigid areas that have very harsh winters.
* Reindeer are equipped to withstand the coldest of weather because they have a very thick coat of hair.
* Reindeer hair is hollow like straw, so air can be trapped and used as insulation.
* Reindeer have large hoofs that are designed to keep them from sinking into the snow.
* Reindeer can retain much of their body heat and keep the blood supply flowing around their vital organs by slowing down the circulation of blood to their legs.
* A reindeer's antlers, which look like velvety spikes, are actually growing bones covered with blood-filled skin!
* The most important reindeer in a herd have the largest antlers.
* A reindeer's antlers are seasonal, and reindeer usually shed them in late winter or early spring. As the "velvet" dries up, the pointy antlers just fall to the ground.
* Reindeer make unusual clicking noises as they walk. No one knows why they make this sound. Some scientists believe the clicking is caused by the shifting of the animals' bones as they make their way across the land.
Through Jan. 2, Jingle, Noel, Belle and Velvet are living at the Los Angeles Zoo. These 18-month-old reindeer are housed at a temporary corral at the zoo's Eucalyptus Grove. You can visit them and talk to the animal keepers.
The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. For more information, call (323) 644-6400 or visit the zoo's Web site at http://www.lazoo.org.
