Svalbard reindeer, Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus, grazing on icy ground, Longyearbyen
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. In Longyearbyen, the "capital" of Svalbard reindeer can be often met on close distance in the middle of the town.
Year: 2015
From album: Sea Ice, Icebergs, Glaciers, Snow and Permafrost in the Arctic Region
Photographer: Peter Prokosch