what's the difference between a reindeer and a caribou

Reindeer and caribou are actually the same species of animal! They are both members of the deer family, but they have different names depending on where they live. In North America, they're called caribou, while in Europe and Asia, they're known as reindeer. The main difference is that caribou live in the wild and migrate long distances, while reindeer are domesticated and used as pack animals by humans.