Book 4, Question 69
Why Do Deer Grow Antlers?
Antlers are a seasonal crown! Male deer grow them to show strength, and to spar with rivals in the fall breeding season. Then the crown falls off, and a new one starts.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 4
More fun facts
- Antlers grow out of a deer's skull.
- Male deer grow new antlers every year and drop them in winter.
- Growing antlers are covered in soft skin called velvet. It gets itchy, and deer rub it off on small trees.
- Moose push their antlers against each other to show who is strongest.
- Caribou are the only deer in which females grow antlers too.
- Scientists think mother caribou may chew their antlers after giving birth for extra nutrients.
- In the 1960s, scientists moved antler-making cells to a different spot on a deer's head, and an antler started to grow there.
Sources: National Park Service, Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Are antlers the same as horns?
No. Antlers are bone that falls off and regrows each year. Horns stay on for life.