Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do Chinese water deer use their long upper canines?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
deer
Male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).
The Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is unique among the deer family because males lack antlers. Instead, they possess long, sharp, and curved upper canine teeth that function as tusks.1
Observations of these animals in captivity indicate that males utilize these tusks primarily to defend their territories.1