Science News

Rudolf Has a Red Nose for the Wrong Reasons

Poor old Rudolf the red nosed reindeer is getting bad press on this show! Apparently his nose is probably red because he has a nasty infection, not because he's been out in the cold delivering Christmas presents. Reindeer noses are designed to warm the air as they breathe in, and cool it as they breathe out. This stops the reindeer losing water and heat but it also makes their noses a good home for bugs. Reindeer also have tongue worms in their sinuses and fly larvae up their nasal cavities! Suddenly they don't seem so cute anymore….

16th Dec 2001