Deer dump the horns at the end of winter – at the beginning of spring. Old deer get rid of them much earlier, than young growth. Horns are a pride of any deer: they are used in fight for a female, applied to self-defense from predators and even help deer to get to themselves food during the winter period.
Horns – pride of a deer
Cervine horns are the brightest sign distinguishing these beautiful animals from all others. When they grow, become covered with the sensitive and gentle leather through penetrated by blood vessels. These vessels feed a bone of horns, increasing it.
After a while blood circulation which delivers nutrients to horns stops. At the basis of horns the ring leading to their smasher is formed. In this case say that the deer dumped the horns. Time for which new cervine horns grow can take from two to four months. It is necessary to consider this question in more detail.
Why they dump them?
In principle, the answer to this question is already put in the previous paragraph: dropping by deer of the horns can be equated to the usual molt arising at many animals. Cervine horns are a living organism: their cages grow, share and die off. It is the law of the nature. Deer dump the horns not more often than once a year. Usually it falls on winter season after the marriage period: the marriage season at them comes in December and proceeds till February. To accelerate their falling away, deer rub horns about everything: about trunks of trees, about stubs, about the earth, about big stones. Deer of old age try to be exempted from old horns earlier, than it does young growth. All because every year it becomes heavier to old deer to carry on itself such branchy cargo. Zoologists noticed the fact that deer try to dump the horns in the same place. What it is connected with – is not clear yet, it is only possible to assume that so this animal it is simpler: they think that horns are dumped without serious consequences mainly in the same place. Also process of loss of horns is curious: at first from them small pieces are broken off, and then it is more and more. After a while horns disappear completely. Sometimes this process takes place with some flaws: on the head of a deer there can be a massive part of one of horns that leads to a certain discomfort – the cervine head begins to heel down. It significantly limits freedom of its movement. Usually in that case deer try to get rid quickly of the unnecessary rest of one of horns, grinding off it about stones.
Why do deer need horns?
Deer use the branchy horns in various cases. First, horns are the magnificent weapon used for protection against enemies. There is an opinion that deer are never protected by means of the horns. It's not true. Very few people from predators will risk to attack the adult deer topped with magnificent and branchy horns. Secondly, cervine horns – the remarkable adaptation allowing an animal to try to discover any given food in the frozen earth. For example, to get under snow favourite food of the majority of deer – a reindeer lichen, they should dig for hours snow by means of the horns. At last, horns are necessary to deer for the duels arranged by these animals during the marriage period. It is curious that in fight for a female between males there are real bloody fights! Deer attack at each other with special cruelty. It is painful to look at the lost animal: it from legs to the head bleeds profusely, and the winner acquires the right for pairing with a young samochka.