Reindeer

Reindeer
05-09-2008

Reindeer shedding the velvet on his antlers

12-09-2008

That looks like it hurts.

24-03-2009

brilliant picture!

24-03-2009

So who can explain this picture? I understand very little about this. Do they loose all there antelers every year? Do they grow a aditional "bit" every year?

Its bone not fingernail like rhino?

Does it hurt the animal? If so how did that get through evoloution???

Thats what hats were made with?

__________________
Stuart R Webster
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

24-03-2009

Yes, the cervids' antlers are made of bone material and they lose them every year. The antlers usually grow a bit bigger every year and get more tines up to a particular age when they don't grow bigger anymore. Reindeers is the only one of the cervids where both the male and the female carries antlers.

25-03-2009

So they loose the felt? Or are they loosing there antelers completely. As that must be rapid bone regrowth.

__________________
Stuart R Webster
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

25-03-2009

The skin that covers the antler while it's growing (I assume that is what you call felt. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the english terms in this case. Correct me if I'm wrong) is shedded when the antlers is full-grown in the autumn. That's what is happening on this picture. Later they lose the whole antlers, in the reindeers case, the male lose his during the winter. The females lose theirs later in the spring and if a female is pregnant she doesn't lose them until after the birth.
So yes, the bone regrowth must be quite rapidly as they have new full-grown antlers a couple of months later (the next autumn).

26-03-2009

yikes looks painful, hang in there buddy.

26-03-2009

Thats what l thought it might be just did not seem possible.

I wonder how many studies have been done on how they get such rapid strong bone growth!!

Thanks for your responses

__________________
Stuart R Webster
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

03-04-2009

Does this happen for all deer species?

15-04-2009

Yes, as far as I know, but only the males (reindeers are the only ones where both sexes carry antlers) and the time of the year is different for different species.

15-04-2009

is it true that Caribou and reindeer are the same thing?

15-04-2009

Yes, caribou is more commonly used in North America, but both names refer to the same animal (Rangifer tarandus.)

15-04-2009

Thanks for confirming!