Can reindeer actually have red noses?

December 18, 2012. Some reindeer really do have red noses, a result of densely packed blood vessels near the skin's surface. Image courtesy of Kia Krarup Hansen. In 1939, illustrator and children's book author Robert May created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The character was an instant hit—2. read more

A fraction of reindeer—the species of deer scientifically known as Rangifer tarandus, native to Arctic regions in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia and Scandinavia—actually do have noses colored with a distinctive red hue. read more

He’s got a pink nose! Pink is pretty close to red so, yeah, he could be Rudolf. Can’t be sure though, he could be either Ziegfried or Seinfeld-Donner and Blitzen’s stunt doubles. read more

The story of Rudolph, the reindeer with a glowing red nose, dates back to a book written in 1939 by Robert L. May. It has subsequently featured in hundreds of stories, songs and films about the folklore of Father Christmas and his sleigh. read more