antler
Quick Summary
Antlers are paired, solid, bony structures that grow from the frontal bone of the skull in animals of the deer family. Unlike horns, which are permanent and covered in keratin, antlers are shed and regrown annually. This shedding is linked to hormonal changes, specifically a drop in testosterone after the mating season.123
During the growth phase, antlers are covered in a skin layer called "velvet," which is rich in blood vessels and nerves. This velvet is shed once the antlers are fully grown, typically before the mating season begins. Antlers serve as weapons in combat between males and as display organs during courtship, with larger antlers often indicating better health and genetic fitness. Growing antlers is an energy-intensive process, and shedding them helps deer conserve energy for survival, especially during winter.2
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hornThe antlers of deer are not horns. Shed yearly, they are composed entirely of bone, though they bear a velvety epidermal covering during the growth period. They become increasingly branched with age. The “horn” of a rhinoceros is composed of fused, heavily keratinized hairlike epidermis. Horns…
Read MoreThe antlers of deer are not horns. Shed yearly, they are composed entirely of bone, though they bear a velvety epidermal covering during the growth period. They become increasingly branched with age. The “horn” of a rhinoceros is composed of fused, heavily keratinized hairlike epidermis. Horns…
Read More- integumentHorns and antlers
Antlers, which are characteristic features of the deer family, are not integumentary derivatives at all. Fully developed antlers are solid bone, without any epidermal covering. The young antlers, however, are covered with skin having a velvety appearance. When the antler is fully developed, the drier…
Read MoreAntlers, which are characteristic features of the deer family, are not integumentary derivatives at all. Fully developed antlers are solid bone, without any epidermal covering. The young antlers, however, are covered with skin having a velvety appearance. When the antler is fully developed, the drier…
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deerMorphology and behaviour…species of deer, males carry antlers; in the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), both sexes carry antlers. The single antlerless form, the Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis), reflects an earlier pre-antler condition, as is shown by the fossil record. In this primitive condition males have long, sharp upper canines, called tusks, that…
Read More…species of deer, males carry antlers; in the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), both sexes carry antlers. The single antlerless form, the Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis), reflects an earlier pre-antler condition, as is shown by the fossil record. In this primitive condition males have long, sharp upper canines, called tusks, that…
Read More- deerMorphology and behaviour
…the very high demands of antler growth for minerals, protein, and energy. Antlers are “bone horns” that are grown and shed annually. The growing antlers are encased in “velvet,” a highly vascularized, nerve-filled skin covered by short, soft hairs. The blood-engorged, growing antlers are warm to the touch and quite…
Read More…the very high demands of antler growth for minerals, protein, and energy. Antlers are “bone horns” that are grown and shed annually. The growing antlers are encased in “velvet,” a highly vascularized, nerve-filled skin covered by short, soft hairs. The blood-engorged, growing antlers are warm to the touch and quite…
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moose…and the immense, wide, flat antlers of old bulls. The name moose is common in North America; it is derived from the word moosh (“stripper and eater of bark”) in the Algonquian language of the Innu people of Quebec, Canada. In Europe moose are called elk.
Read More…and the immense, wide, flat antlers of old bulls. The name moose is common in North America; it is derived from the word moosh (“stripper and eater of bark”) in the Algonquian language of the Innu people of Quebec, Canada. In Europe moose are called elk.
Read More- moose
The antlers are shed of the blood-engorged skin called velvet in late August, and the bulls are in rut by the first week of September. Rutting bulls search widely for females, but the bulls may also attract females with the smell of their urine. They paw…
Read MoreThe antlers are shed of the blood-engorged skin called velvet in late August, and the bulls are in rut by the first week of September. Rutting bulls search widely for females, but the bulls may also attract females with the smell of their urine. They paw…
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reindeerAntlers with up to 44 points can grow to 1.4 metres long in males; this is the only deer species in which females also have antlers.
Read MoreAntlers with up to 44 points can grow to 1.4 metres long in males; this is the only deer species in which females also have antlers.
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