Well, how could I not cover Caribou or Reindeer at Christmastime? Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae Subfamily: Odocoileinae Genus: Rangifer Species: R. tarandus . Conservation Status: This is a species of least concern! Congratulations on this one, Planet Earth! *** Caribou/Reindeer in Alaska By Michael Russell Reindeer are domesticated caribou in North America and are mainly bred for meat production. Although there are seven subspecies of caribou, Alaska only has the Barren ground subspecies. Wild caribou are called reindeer in Europe; they are the same species as normal caribou; however, there are some differences between the two of them. Reindeer or caribou have heavier bodies [ ... ]