Scientists Explain Why ‘Rudolph’ Was a Female Deer in Christmas Classic

Many of us grew up watching the Christmas classic "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer," and many of us assumed that the deer with the bright red nose was a "boy."

Well, a discussion on social media recently led me to research whether Rudolph was a male or female reindeer.

Let's be honest, the deer's gender in the movie isn't relevant but like so many of you, I too just assumed Rudolph was a male deer, and it's because of the deer's name.

Well, after not very much research, I found out that the beloved deer in the movie is indeed a female deer. You may be asking how we know this, and one scientist points to one noticeable feature of the character.

If you recall in the movie, Rudolph still has antlers on its head during Christmas and that is a sign that the character Rudolph was a female deer in the movie.

According to Edinburgh University professors Gerald Lincoln and David Baird, Rudolph couldn't have been a male deer in the movie because male reindeer lose or shed their antlers by mid-December.

Being that Rudolph has antlers on Christmas Eve, that is a sign that the precious deer with the red nose was a female deer in the Christmas classic. Still, even though male reindeer shed antlers by Autumn, some say the fictional character, Rudolph, was a male deer in the movie.

And I'll say it one more time, I couldn't care less about the gender of Rudolph, I am still watching this classic for the holiday season and may watch it more than just once.