Why Was Rudolph’s Nose Really Red? We Now Know the Answer

For years scientists and non-scientist alike have theorized why Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a red nose.  Theories have ranged from the common cold, to Rudolph being drunk, to a nasal infection. Now we know the truth.

According to handful of Dutch scientists, Rudolph was overheated and suffered hyperthermia. The group published a report a few years back titled "Microcirculatory investigations of nasal mucosa in reindeer Rangifer tarandus (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Cervidae): Rudolph's nose was overheated".

Here is how they explain it:

The exceptional physical burden of flying with a sleigh with Santa Claus as a heavy load could have caused cerebral and bodily hyperthermia, resulting in an overworked nasal cooling mechanism that resembles an overheated cooling radiator in a car: Rudolph suffered from hyperemia of the nasal mucosa (a red nose) under more extreme heat loads during flight with a sleigh.

 

These are the scientists who came up with the hyperthermia theory:

Ben van der Hoven, Eva Klijn, Lisette L. de Vogel, and Michel van Genderen from Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Willem Schaftenaar from Rotterdam Zoo, and Ditty van Duijn & Erwin J.O. Kompanje from Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam.