Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

The Most Famous Reindeer Of All

"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer reindeer.
Had a very shiny nose like a lightbulb.
And if you ever saw it saw it.
You would even say it glowed like a flashlight."
(actual lyrics to one version)

(Hartford Courant, ca. 12/17/09)

Rudolph With Her Nose So Bright

Dear Abby:

With the holidays here, songs about Santa and his reindeer are filling the air. I'm writing to talk about reindeer antlers. Reindeer are unique because they are the only members of the deer family in which both genders have antlers, which are made of bone and grown annually.

In the summer and fall, you cannot identify a reindeer as a "he" or a "she" without further investigation. In late December, however, only the females still have their antlers.

During the summer months, the males use their antlers to attract females and defend their harems (anywhere from five to 15 females) from other males. When they are no longer "looking for love," the males lose their antlers. The females, on the other hand, keep theirs through the winter and into the spring, and use them to compete for food and to protect their young.

The only reindeer with antlers at Christmastime are the GIRLS, Abby. So Rudolph would have been appropriately named Rudolphia, and the other reindeer would have been laughing and calling HER names until the glow from HER nose guided Santa's sleigh that foggy Christmas eve. --- Joyce C, Ph.D.

Abby replies: Dear Dr. C:

Fascinating. This clearly explains why Santa doesn't get lost at Christmas. Females are never reluctant to ask for directions ... ho, ho, ho.

(Dear Abby above was published in the Nashua Telegraph on December 19, 2009)

If we go back to the picture above, unrelated to the Dear Abby column, Rudolph (on the right) does not have antlers.

Last updated 12/20/09

Go to other, unrelated, topics

If you would like to contribute an idea for our web pages, please send us an e-mail. Sorry, but due to the volume of e-mail we cannot reply personally to all inquiries.