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1. Locomotor activity in a group of ten captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) was recorded automatically during a 15-month period at the University of Ume\0a, Sweden (63\dg 49\t' N). The records were complemented by observations on activity and rumination in March, June, September and December. Artificial food was provided at lib. 2. Reindeer have a polyphasic activity pattern with bursts occurring during both day and night. The number of activity peaks varies from 4-6 in the winter with 6 h of daylight to 6-9 in the summer with continuous daylight. The increase in the number of activity peaks is brought about by a splitting of the evening activity peak, thereby creating an increasing number of peaks with gradually shorter frequencies. 3. Sunrise and sunset act as \lssetpoints\rs for activity, separating it into a diurnal and a nocturnal phase. Since diurnal activity predominates, the reindeer is essentially a diurnal animal. Increasing daylength causes diurnal activity to increase in a 1:1 fashion while the ratio of night length to nocturnal activity is close to 1:0.5. This causes the total amount of activity over 24 h to change with photoperiod. 4. Food consumption was about 30% lower in winter than in summer and varied in accordance with the changes in the activity pattern 5. The time spent ruminating between meals was longer in winter than in summer, thus the winter activity pattern consisted of relatively few activity periods and long periods of rumination, unlike the summer pattern which was made up of large numbers of activity peaks with a shorter rumination time. 6. Rumination showed a rhythmical pattern within the single resting period. Reindeer were found to perform one to several bouts of rumination, each lasting approximately 50 min. 7. It is concluded that the activity pattern and the amount of activity is regulated mainly by changes in light-dark conditions. Photoperiod is presumed to provide the proximate factor governing the seasonal variations of energy intake in reindeer.

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Skin samples were taken from forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) in order to study the distribution of apocrine tubular glands. Glands with well-developed secretory epithelium were restricted to certain areas of the body, namely the foreleg pit, a narrow strip on the belly, the groin and on the legs. Welldeveloped glands were also found in the oral angle and in the rump patch. The greatest amount was found in the ventral interdigital skin of both fore and hindfeet. In other parts of the body could only the excretory duct and a thin walled extension but no developed secretory epithelium be seen.

Summary:Reproductive organs from female domestic reindeer of the forest type were collected during the period 1978-1982 (N=499). Following data are derived from samples from the season 1981-1982 (N=315). The rate of pregnancy was high, 93% and 60% among adults and yearlings respectively, also a few calves were pregnant. In the middle of September only a few of the collected ovaries had active luteal structures. Ovulations can in the absence of pregnancy proceed up to December-January. Different methods for describing the conceptional period is used. The first conceptions were calculated to 23/9, before 1/10 14% of the females had conceived and before 18/10 80% of the females had successfully mated. Only a few females had conceived after the 1/11.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyse transferrin variation in herds of semi-domestic reindeer from Scandinavia. The results are compared with previously reported values for other populations of both semi-domestic and wild reindeer using the same techniques as in the present study. In all populations the number of alleles was high, ranging from seven to eleven, and the heterozygosity was correspondingly high, with a mean of 0.749. This high genetic variation in all populations suggests that inbreeding is not widespread among Scandinavian reindeer. The pattern of allele frequency distribution indicates a high degree of genetic heterogeneity in the transferrin locus, both between the different semi-domestic herds and between the different wild populations. The mean value of genetic distance was 0.069 between semi-domestic herds and 0.091 between wild populations. Between semi-domestic and wild populations the genetic distance was particularly high, with a mean of 0.188. This high value was mainly due to a different pattern in the distribution of the two most common transferrin alleles: Tfu was most common among semi-domestic herds, while TfEI was most common among wild populations. These differences in transferrin allele distribution are discussed in relation to possible different origins of semi-domestic and wild reindeer in Scandinavia, or alternatively, to different selection forces acting on transferrin genotypes in semi-domestic and wild populations.

Transferrin-variasjon og genetisk struktur hos rein i Skandinavia.

Abstact in Norwegian / Sammendrag: Transferrin-variasjon i tamreinflokker ble analysert ved hjelp av polyacrylamid gel elektroforese. Resultatene er sammenlignet med verdier som tidligere er beskrevet for både tamrein og villrein hvor det ble benyttet samme metode som i denne undersøkelsen. I alle populasjonene ble det registrert et høyt antall alleler (7-11) og heterozygositeten var tilsvarende høy med en middelverdi på 0.749. Denne høye graden av genetisk variasjon i alle undersøkte populasjoner indikerer at det ikke foregår mye innavl blant rein i Skandinavia. Utbredelsen av de enkelte allelene viste høy grad av genetisk oppdeling i transferrin-locuset mellom flokker av både tamrein og villrein. Middelverdien for genetisk avstand var 0.069 mellom tamreinflokker og 0.091 mellom villreinflokker. Særlig stor genetisk avstand (middelverdi 0.188) ble funnet mellom tamrein og villrein. Denne store forskjellen skyldes i stor grad forskjellig mønster i utbredelsen av de to vanligste allelene: Tf' var mest vanlig blant tamrein og Tf1' var mest vanlig blant villrein. Denne forskjellen er diskutert i relasjon til forskjellig opprinnelse av tamrein og villrein og alternativt, i relasjon til forskjellig seleksjonskrefter som virker på transferrin genotyper i tamrein og villrein.

The rutting behavior of captive reindeer was studied during three rutting seasons. Blood samples from three males were taken for androgen analysis before, during, and afterthe rut. The amount of androgen increased at the end of August to a peak during late September-early October and decreased thereafter. Flehmen, urinating on the hindlegs, and two different low-stretch displays emerged during the prerut period. The preorbital gland enlarged and secretion occurred at the rim of the pocket. A conspicuous breath odor appeared very abruptly during the most intense period of rutting. A few days later a strong odor also appeared in the urine. The urination behavior and the two odors were confined to a brief period during the rut, while other behavior persisted afterwards.