caribou, name in North America for the genus (Rangifer) of deer from which the Old World reindeer was originally domesticated. Caribou are found in arctic and subarctic regions. They are the only deer in which both sexes have antlers. The broad hooves support the animal (males may weigh over 300 lb/130 kg) on boggy land or snow and have sharp edges that enable it to traverse rocky or frozen surfaces and to dig down to the grass and lichens on which it sometimes feeds. In North America there are two main types: the woodland caribou of the bogs and coniferous forests from Newfoundland to British Columbia, with palmate antlers up to 4 ft (120 cm) wide; and the barren-ground caribou of the tundra of Alaska and N Canada, which has many-branched, slender antlers and which may undertake mass migrations in search of food. Caribou are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Cervidae.

Caribou, town (1990 pop. 9,415), Aroostook co., NE Maine, on the Aroostook River; inc. 1859. A processing and shipping hub for a potato-growing region, it is also a winter sports center. Nearby Loring Air Force Base, once important to the local economy, is now closed.

Any species of Arctic deer in the genus Rangifer (family Cervidae), especially Old World species, some of which are domesticated. New World species are usually called caribou. The reindeer herded by the Sami (Lapps) are used as draft and pack animals and as a source of meat and milk; their skins are used for tents, boots, and other clothing. In Siberia they are used as pack animals and as mounts.

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