Males drop their antlers in November, leaving them without antlers until the following spring, while females keep their antlers through the winter until their calves are born in May. Both sexes finish growing their antlers at the same time but shed them at different times of the year. Male reindeer begin to grow antlers in February and female reindeer in May. Unlike horns, antlers fall off and grow back larger each year.A male’s antlers can be up to 51 inches long, and a female’s antlers can reach 20 inches. Compared to their body size, reindeer have the largest and heaviest antlers of all living deer species. Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, while in most other deer species, only the males have antlers.In North America, the animals are called caribou if they are wild and reindeer if they are domesticated. Reindeer and caribou are the same animal ( Rangifer tarandus) and are a member of the deer family.No matter what genre you identify Species as, it's not top of the line, but there's also quite a bit of room beneath it.CVM’s Office of Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Drug Development (OMUMS for short) works hard to make sure safe and effective drugs are available for minor species, like Santa’s reindeer (or are they caribou?). The rest of the film is essentially one long chase sequence with a couple of nude scenes and maulings added to liven up the proceedings. The top-notch special effects, which use a lot of seamless computer animation, make the climax look very nice. Marg Helgenberger is the self-assured woman who falls for him, Alfred Molina is the smart guy who strikes out with the women, and Forest Whitaker plays a truly annoying psychic who is constantly whining that things don't "feel right." Cast somewhat against type, Ben Kingsley is a sleazy scientist with no concept of ethics but a great love of procedure.ĭirector Roger Donaldson has a lot of fun with his premise. There's the strong, silent Preston, played by a laconic Michael Madsen. The characters are all types, but this is intentional. As a high-tech, campy action movie, this one beats Judge Dredd, hands down. The plot is patently ridiculous, but that's where a temporary suspension of disbelief is mandatory. As long as you don't stop to think about what's going on, Species is capable of offering its share of cheap thrills, with a laugh or two thrown in as well. On the other hand, as a tongue-in-cheek homage to body snatching pictures, it isn't half bad. There are moments of high energy, but the pace is basically one of ebb and flow, and there's not much atmosphere to speak of. Species sticks with basic scare tactics - things jumping out of the shadows to the accompaniment of a surge of music. James Cameron's picture was masterful at building tension and suspense before bringing everything together in a satisfying climax. If you compare it to a sci-fi action thriller like Aliens, it comes up short. There are two ways to look at this motion picture. Their job is clear: destroy Sil, regardless of the cost in dollars and lives. Hot on her trail is a small team of specialists put together by government scientist Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley): an empath (Forrest Whitaker) who acts like Counselor Troi from Star Trek the Next Generation a pair of scientists (Alfred Molina and Marg Helgenberger) with all the answers, and a hunter (Michael Madsen) whose specialty is killing. Giger, would likely provoke at least a few stares. Her alternative form, a monstrosity straight out of the imagination of Alien creator H.R. Now, Sil has escaped her protective cage in Utah and is on her way to the City of Angels, where she's likely to blend in with all the other weirdos - at least when she retains her alluring human shape. In 1971, Earth sent a message into space, hoping for an answer when, some twenty years later, a response arrived that gave a recipe for "enhancing" human DNA, the scientists involved in the project didn't know that by acting on it, they were possibly engineering their own extinction. Given the fast growth cycle of her race, it wouldn't take long before the indigenous populations of this planet topped the endangered species list. Sil's need to mate is fueled by maternal instincts, but it's bad news for humanity if she carries a child to term. well, let's just say that Sil bears a remarkable resemblance to the Praying Mantis. There's only so much of this anyone can take. Every time she starts to get intimate with a man, there's some sort of interruption - like someone showing up shooting off a gun or threatening to kick in the door. For most of the film, her primary problem is a massive case of sexual frustration. The villain of Species - a new science fiction/action/thriller/gorefest from director Roger Donaldson - is a sexy young alien named Sil (Natasha Henstridge).