An antler on a red deer stag. Velvet covers a growing antler, providing blood flow that supplies oxygen and nutrients. Each antler grows from an attachment point on the skull called a pedicle.

Red deer antlers may reach 90 cm (3 ft.) in length and weigh 3 kg (6.6 lbs) each, although 70 cm (2 ft. 4 in.) and 1 kg (2.2 lbs) is more common. During their development, the antlers are soft and vulnerable to damage and covered in a greyish-purple coloured membrane called velvet.

Male red deer retain their antlers for more than half the year, and are less gregarious and less likely to group with other males when they have antlers. The antlers provide self-defence, as does a strong front-leg kicking action performed by both sexes when attacked.

Standing proud and tall, the red deer is our largest deer. With its massive antlers, it is an unmistakeable icon of the Scottish Highlands, but can be seen in northwest and southern England, too.

Jul 17, 2024 · Antler shedding or antler regeneration is the natural process by which male deer shed their antlers annually and then regrow new ones. This process is controlled by hormonal changes in the deer's body and usually occurs during the winter months.

Jan 13, 2025 · red deer, (Cervus elaphus), well-known deer, in the family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla), that is native to North America, Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa and was introduced into New Zealand. The red deer has long been hunted for both sport and food.

European Red deer have a relatively long tail compared to their Asian and North American relatives. The males of many subspecies also grow a short neck mane during the autumn. Only the males have antlers, which start growing in the spring and …

Put simply, antlers are bony appendages grown by, indeed unique to, deer – 36 of the 40 known species possess them. A Carpathian Red stag (Cervus elaphus montanus) at Woburn Abbey. The number of points on a stag's antlers can act as guide to age, but is complicated by genetics and habitat quality, particularly among parkland deer.

Feb 15, 2023 · The aim of the present study was to significantly extend the existing knowledge on the variability/constancy of antler traits in red deer, including effects of the stag, age and side.

Red Deer have different coloration based on the seasons and types of habitats, with grey or lighter coloration prevalent in the winter and a more reddish and darker coat in the summer. Only the stags have antlers which start growing in the spring …