this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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[–] FireTower 72 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

For anyone curious deer have a velvety layer on their antlers that allows the antlers to grow. This layer eventually falls/is rubbed off of the antlers leaving the bone exposed. That's what's happening here.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Not only deer, but all antlery animals (moose, reindeer, elk, etc). It's completely normal and pain free, but it looks like something out of a horror movie.

For some reason, this does not happen to animals with horns, such as cows.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Unlike horns, which like finger nails grow from the base, antlers are basically bones.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Bone that falls off after the mating season and regrows the next spring

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

It always weirds me out that antlers just fall off. Like, bone isn't supposed to do that for us. What if we randomly shed bones every year?

[–] FrostyTheDoo 5 points 1 year ago

Hey I have one of those too!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you've ever seen the skull of a horned animal versus an antlered animal the difference between antler and horn is pretty clear. The center of a horned animals horn is bone and forms a single continuous piece connected to the skull, surrounded by flesh and hard keratin (like finger nails). Antlers grow more like a knuckle, not connected to the skull as one continuous piece.

Another horned oddity is the rhino, whose "horn" is more like a specialized fingernail (keratin again) than a true horn. A rhino "horn" is like a compressed lock of hair filed to a point, a hair shiv if you will.

Yet another weird horn like thing is the giraffe. They have bone knobby lumps on their head that are like something between a horn and an antler, being bone fused to the skull surrounded by flesh but without keratin.

Then there are narwhals. I don't know anything about narwhals. But they are cool and have "horns".

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The narwhal's horn isn't a horn but a tooth.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Evolution is fascinating, all these species reinvented the same tool using different parts of the anatomy.

[–] AngryCommieKender 2 points 1 year ago

Some have 2, others have 0. Is a narwhal really a narwhal without its tusk(s)?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Also, they love to eat it. Protein is protein.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Pudüs too or do they have horns?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It's completely normal and pain free

I like to think it's a bit painful, but in the good way like wiggling a loose tooth. By the way they rub their antlers on stuff, it might itch a little too.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

normal and pain free

Well, it is quite bloody, which suggests that the tissue is very much alive. Do they have no pain receptors there or did the brain “learn” to ignore them?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They used to because Santa recruited them for his sleigh. He didn't recruit this reindeer because of his funny name.

[–] AngryCommieKender 2 points 1 year ago

He didn't recruit this deer, cause it's not a reindeer. Reindeer have neat furry looking antlers, and are mostly white. That's your standard asshole North America whitetail deer. The really are assholes. Drive slow so they don't hit you when you're in deer country.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's not a funny name.

[–] Kyrgizion 7 points 1 year ago

"It's reigndeer now, motherfucker!"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Now they call him Buck Norris.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Excited for all the "Ackshualllyyys...."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

This is more of an "actually". I like this one, thanks