Rangifer tarandus
-----------------
English: Reindeer
German: Rentier
French: Renne
Spanish: Reno
Distribution areas
------------------
The reindeer can be found in the polar
areas of Europe, Asia and North America. In
Europe and Asia it is also kept in a
domesticated form.
Description of the fur
---------------------- Transverse section
The skin is from 200 to 225 cm long, of a fine fur fibre, 200x
covered by a dense and coarse coat,
containing straight hair fibres. In the summer season, the coat is
dark-brown, while the winter skins are lighter, usually white-grey or
white-brown in colour. The underfur layer is light-brown in the shade. The
hair shafts are straight and up to 40 mm long.
|
|
Rangifer tarandus
-----------------
English: Reindeer
German: Rentier
French: Renne
Spanish: Reno
Structure of the hair
---------------------
The microscopic structure of the skin
surface is usually furrowed; the hair
follicles are narrow with straight edges.
The follicles contain usually only one
guard hair, or a cluster of fine hair
fibres.
The cuticular structure
The fine fur fibres have a circular of the fine fibres, 2000x
cross-section with a diameter of 10 to 15
µm. The cuticular scales are of the cornet-like type with a non-regularly
grooved surface and straight scale margins. These fine fur fibres are
non-medullated.
|
|
Rangifer tarandus
-----------------
English: Reindeer
German: Rentier
French: Renne
Spanish: Reno
The intermediate fibres are very similar
in structure to the guard hairs but are
shorter and their width is from 110 to 150
µm. The cuticular scales are the
mosaic-like ones with a smooth surface and
straight scale margins. The medulla is of
the predominating type of structure. The
cortex is not visible, and the medullary
column is unbroken, central Transverse section
symmetrical-shaped and of the symmetrical of an intermediate fibre, 400x
non-uniform lattice type. The medullary
infilling material is of the sheet-like
structure.
The guard hairs are elliptical and also heart-shaped in cross-section.
Their diameter is from 150 to 220 µm and the other structural features are
the same as in the intermediate fibres.
|
|
Rangifer tarandus
-----------------
English: Reindeer
German: Rentier
French: Renne
Spanish: Reno
The cuticular structure
of a guard hair, 400x
|
|
Rangifer tarandus
-----------------
English: Reindeer
German: Rentier
French: Renne
Spanish: Reno
Longitudinal section
of a guard hair, 200x
Numerical code for reindeer skin structure
------------------------------------------
Surface of the skin: 3-4-1.3
Fine fur fibres: 1-5-3-1-4-0-0-0-0-10.15-15.24
Intermediate fibres: 2.5-1-1-1-1-1-1-9-1-110.151-20.35
Guard hairs: 2.5-1-1-1-1-1-1-9-1-151.221-25.41
|
