The reindeer who pull Santa’s sleigh are as much a Christmas symbol as the festive tree, candy canes, and Mariah Carey. Without them, there wouldn’t be any presents in our stockings on Christmas Day. But there might be something about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph that you didn’t know: Santa’s sleigh might actually be pulled by a gang of girls.

As Christmas decorations can tell us, all nine reindeer sport a majestic crown of antlers. As it happens, male deer are completely antler-less around Christmas time.

Reindeer are the sole species of deer to be widely domesticated by humans. They are also the only species of deer where both male and female reindeer grow antlers in spring. The bulls shed their antlers as early as November, while the reindeer cows keep their horns until the next May when they have given birth to their calves. That means by December, all the male reindeer will be bald, and the only reindeer with the iconic look are female.

There is still one mystery that puzzles scientists: how does a reindeer’s nose (no matter their gender) glow?!