 Snowshoe - Shovel - Paddle Feet Caribou and reindeer have large special hooves with four "toes" on each foot. These provide a number of benefits in their harsh Arctic environment. 1. The toes spread out wide to act like snowshoes - distributing the animal's weight so that it can "float" over snow, soft ice, muskeg and wetlands without sinking in. 2. The sharp-edged hooves easily break and clear the snow when caribou dig for food. The name caribou comes from the Micmac Indian word "xalibu," meaning "the pawer". 3. Large feet make good paddles. Caribou are very strong swimmers and often have to cross wide rushing rivers or thaw lakes that block their migration path. Caribou make a characteristic clicking sound when they move, but this does not come from their hooves, but rather from the tendons slipping over the bones in their feet. It's a good thing they aren't predators - how could they sneak up on anything when they "click" with every step?
Click pictures for more information and credits. Library: Arctic, Animals, Land, Snow, Ice Links: Arctic, Animals Arctic Maps & Weather Reports |
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DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. |
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ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic. |
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ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature... |
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ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots". |
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GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year? |
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