The reindeer, also known as the caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Sub arctic-dwelling deer.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a character created in a story and song by the same name. The story was created by Robert L. May in 1939 as part of his employment with Montgomery Ward. Rudolph has become a figure of Christmas folklore.
The song tells the tale of Santa Claus's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored nose that gives off its own light, powerful enough to illuminate the team's path through inclement weather.