The animal kingdom is brutal. To survive, many animals have evolved with built-in weapons, including horns, quills, shells, claws, and tusks, to name a few. Members of the Cervidae family — including the white-tail deer, mule deer, elk, moose, and reindeer/caribou — have developed antlers to serve as a defense system. But they also have other purposes. Here, we answer all your antler questions. Read on to find out more.
1. What Are Antlers?
(Credit: Rick Fansler/Shutterstock)
Antlers are bony structures that extend out of permanent growths on a Cervidae's head — usually only the male — called pedicles. Male deer and other Cervidae shed their antlers annually, usually in the winter, and grow new ones in the spring.
