Up on the Rooftop

Click, click, click. 

After years of listening to that song during the holidays, it finally makes sense to me.  Being one who has not spent much (or in fact any) time around reindeer I was not aware that they make a clicking noise when they walk. 

They have a tendon in the rear leg that slides over the bone when they move and makes that clicking sound.  No one is sure why this is.  It is believed it helps them stay together in whiteout conditions.  If they can't see or smell their herd mates at least they can follow their clicks.  Apparently a large herd can make quite a racket! 

You can hear the clicking in this video once you get past the snowmobiles.

Another fact about reindeer that I found interesting is that only females and castrated males keep their antlers throughout the winter.  I'm not sure what that says about Rudolph!