Are the elk and the caribou the same species, and if not what is the difference, and what about the reindeer?

McGruff

Moose, elk (wapiti), caribou, and deer are all in Family Cerivdae. Caribou and reindeer are the same species, Rangifer tarandus. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/animals/mammal/rata/introductory.html http://www.sportsmanschoice.com/A%20Note%20Worth%20Reading/deer.htm Reindeer and Caribou look different, but they probably are the same species. Caribou are large, wild, elk-like animals which can be found above the tree-line in arctic North America and Greenland. Reindeer are slightly smaller and were domesticated in northern Eurasia about 2000 years ago. Today, they are herded by many Arctic peoples in Europe and Asia including the Sami in Scandinavia and the Nenets, Chukchi and others in Russia. http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/arctic/html/caribou_reindeer.html Mar 02 03, 7:54 PM