The Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) is a subspecies of the reindeer found on the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. They are the smallest subspecies of reindeer and have occurred on the Svalbard archipelago for at least 5,000 years. They are well-adapted to the harsh, unproductive tundra, eating a variety of higher plants, lichens and mosses. These males were chewing their cuds and allowed our close approach at Kapp Waldburg on Barentsøya. Svalbard's Reindeer are threatened by global warming, which is causing rain rather than snow to fall at some times in winter. The rain then freezes, preventing the Reindeer from digging to reach their food plants. Weaker animals then die of starvation.