The short Arctic summer is an abundance period for these herbivorous but during the long Polar night, reindeers are dependants of lichens. When the snow cover is thin, they can uncover hidden lichens with the help of their snout. When the snow cover increase in winter, they dig it with their hoofs, creating holes which can reach a depth of 80 cm. Therefore, they are referred to as the « snow-shoveller » (« xalibu ») by Algonquin speaking people.