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We’re sure you recall, the most famous reindeer of all … Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He definitely went down in history, but do you know what made Rudolph’s nose so bright that he was able to guide Santa’s sleigh that foggy night? We answer the question “Why does Rudolph have a red nose?” with help from The British Medical Journal (BMJ) and Live Science.
About a year ago, scientists from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the University of Rochester in New York conducted an observational study of reindeer noses. What the scientist found was that Rudolph has a dense network of blood vessels in his nose. In fact, all reindeer, not just the most famous one of all, have 25 percent more capillaries that carry oxygen-rich blood to their nasal area than humans.
These capillaries regulate the internal body temperatures of Santa’s reindeer. When Rudolph is in the extreme cold temperatures at the North Pole or flying through the sky high up in the atmosphere, the blood flow to his nose helps keep him warm and his brain active. At the end of the study, the scientists concluded that “Rudolph’s nose is red because it … is anatomically and physiologically adapted for reindeer to carry out their flying duties for Santa Claus.”
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