Are Deer the Only Animals With Antlers?

There are many animals that have antlers and most people don’t know this because they only think of deer when they hear the word antlers. Antlers are bones that develop and grow on the heads of male animals in certain species, such as moose, caribou, elk, and deer. In this article, we’ll break down what antlers are, how they are used in nature, and we’ll talk about some of the other animals that have antlers as well.

What Are Antlers?

While most people are familiar with deer antlers, few know what they are. The horn-like appendages attached to a male deer’s head serve several purposes: one, to protect males from predators during their vulnerable adolescence; two, to attract females and intimidate other males. While most animal horns contain hair on at least some of their surface, antlers contain no hair whatsoever; they are wholly composed of bone.

You will find antlers only on the heads of members of the Cervidae family. Most male deer lose their antlers each year between late winter and early spring—often just after mating season—and then regrow them during the summer months.

The Main Parts of an Antler

There are six parts of an antler: pedicle, beam, tine, brow tine, point, and palm.

The pedicle is where new growth emerges each year.

The beam is a long bone that comes out of both sides of the pedicle and divides into branches.

Tines are bony spikes that branch off the main antler beam like fingers coming off your hand.

A brow tine comes out perpendicular to the main antler branch at its widest point and helps hold scent glands in place so that bucks can mark their territory with secretions from those glands as they rub their rack on trees during territorial rituals called scraping.

Points are sharp projections at the end of antler beams that serve no purpose other than making buck racks more visually appealing.

Palms or buttons form at the base of antlers and get larger each year until it’s time for them to fall off. They’re also known as pedicles or button bucks because

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from Nature Nibble https://ift.tt/UMWCTDt