Deer, members of the Cervidae family, are unique among mammals for their annually shed and regrown antlers. These bony structures, which typically extend from the skull, are distinct from horns, which are permanent and have a keratinized sheath. During their growth phase, antlers are covered by a soft, fuzzy tissue known as velvet. This velvet plays a fundamental role in their development.
The Nature of Velvet Shedding
Velvet is a living tissue, rich with blood vessels and nerves, that supplies the rapidly growing antler with essential nutrients and oxygen. This vascular network supports one of the fastest rates of bone growth in the animal kingdom, with some deer species growing antlers up to an inch per day. As antlers reach full size and begin to calcify and harden, the blood supply to the velvet diminishes. This reduction in blood flow causes the velvet tissue to die, dry out, and eventually peel away.
The Sensation of Shedding
While the velvet covering growing antlers is highly sensitive due to its rich nerve supply, the shedding process itself is not painful for the deer. By the time shedding begins, the velvet is dead and drying tissue, so its nerves are no longer functional. Observations suggest the drying and peeling velvet might cause an irritating or itchy sensation, prompting deer to actively remove it. Deer rub their antlers against trees and brush not out of pain, but to scrape off the dead, irritating velvet and polish the newly exposed, hardened bone. This behavior helps complete the shedding process, which can occur rapidly.
Why Antlers Develop and Shed
Antlers serve several biological functions for male deer. They are primarily used for display, establishing dominance, and competition during the breeding season, known as the rut. Larger, more impressive antlers can signal a male’s health and genetic quality to potential mates and deter rivals. The annual shedding of antlers allows for the growth of new, often larger and more complex, antlers each year. This cyclical growth is influenced by age, nutrition, and hormonal changes, particularly testosterone levels linked to daylight, and also allows deer to discard cumbersome structures no longer needed after the breeding season, potentially conserving energy.