Deer are amazing animals, especially when it comes to the issue of the anti-use of class-dependent function shedding.
Hormonal changes and the effects of various conditions initiate this process, which is normal for the deer life cycle.
Stags or bucks develop antlers to demonstrate good health and physical capability, most especially for the purpose of reproducing. These antlers are most useful during the breeding season, also known as the rut with other males, in an attempt to dominate and mate females.
But since breeding season is a one-time event in a year, the requirement for such large and energy-intensive structures reduces.
He noted that the shedding process is instigated by low levels of testosterone in the sperm after the rut. This hormonal decrease results in the weakening of the connective tissue at the base of the antlers, called the pedicle, and hence, they shed off.
This process may take time, varying with species and the prevailing environmental conditions; this happens mostly in late winter up to early spring.
As we have seen, after the shedding, the antlers do not become useless in the ecosystem. They prove to be a nice source of nutrients such as calcium for other animals, like rodents, who chew on the shed antlers to enable them to strengthen their own bodies.
The knowledge of why deer are shedding their antlers will help in understanding the biology and environment of these majestic animals much better.
Getting to know this process provides not only knowledge regarding wildlife but also shows how fragile this connection is in the natural world.
ASH CK