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Rudolph and all of the other reindeer are probably dying from climate change

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A reindeer runs in the snow in the Murmansk Region of Russia. | Pavel Lvov/Sputnik via AP

It’s bad enough that climate change is ruining the dream of a white Christmas for many people, as warming makes snow in some regions less likely.

Now, apparently, it’s coming for reindeer, too.

Reindeer aren’t just creatures of Christmas myth; they’re real animals — a kind of deer that live in the Arctic, from northern Europe and Russia to North America, where they’re commonly known as caribou. These animals are remarkably adapted to cold weather, sporting thick fur, a snout that warms the air they take in, and uniquely structured hooves that help them shovel snow to find food, such as lichen. But they’ve also survived bouts of Arctic warming that occurred thousands of years ago, thanks to their ability to travel long distances in search of colder habitats.

These adaptations are, however, no match for modern climate change. The Arctic is warming quickly from a higher baseline temperature compared to natural........

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