Surprising Facts About Antlers and the Animals That Grow Them

You are probably familiar with deer that have antlers, like the white-tailed deer or mule deer. Hunters may brag about getting a 10-point buck, but what does that really mean? Lots of animals have interesting headgear, but do they all have antlers? What about moose? Do moose have antlers or horns? What about the long, wavy, ridged headgear on an Addax? Are those antlers? Reindeer have some of the largest headgear, but they look much different than a white-tailed deer. Let’s find out all about the types of animals with antlers!

What Are Antlers?

Antlers are tree-branch-looking structures that grow out of the skulls of members of the deer family, Cervidae. Usually, only males grow them (with some exceptions), and antlers fall off every fall, regrowing in the spring (again, with some exceptions). Antlers are made of bone as an extension of the skull and are fed by a blood supply similar to other bones. When the new antlers grow in, they are covered in a velvety material that helps protect them during growth. Antlers are primarily a status symbol used to attract mates like the colorful feathers of a male peacock and the long mane of a dominant male lion. Female reindeer have antlers that they keep throughout the winter and use to brush away snow to find food in the long arctic winters. Most female deer species do not sport antlers.

How Are Antlers Different Than Horns?

Antlers are different from horns because horns are made of keratin and do not shed annually. One general way to think about the difference is that animals in the deer family have antlers, and animals in the cow, sheep, and goat family have horns. Examples of animals that have horns are bighorn sheep, water buffalo, American bison, addax, ibex, and Texas longhorn cattle. Let’s take a look at a variety of deer and animals in the deer family that have antlers.

1. White-Tailed Deer

White-tail deer may be the most familiar animal with antlers in the U.S. The males grow large racks of antlers that can have 8-10 points, but 8 points is the most common. That means each set of antlers has four branches, each ending in a point that is more than an inch long. The male deer are called bucks and typically weigh between 150-300 pounds. Female white-tail deer do not grow antlers, which makes it easy to tell the two apart, but be aware that the males will shed their antlers after the fall rut. Male white-tail deer will shed their antlers in late fall to make it easier to get around during the winter months. Did you know deer antlers can weigh between 3-9 pounds? Nice to take off that load for the winter!

2. Mule Deer

The mule deer is another common deer in the U.S. They look quite similar to white-tail deer, and their range overlaps in several areas across the country. Mule deer have a slightly darker coloration, while white-tail deer are a bit more reddish-tan tinted, but in the summer, they have a more similar coloration. Taking a look at their tail ends, mule deer have a white patch on their rear with a white tail and a black tip. White-tail deer have a reddish-tan tail matching their body color with a white underside. When they “flag” their tail upward, you can see the white. Mule deer have bigger ears than white-tails deer, which is one way to tell the difference between the two does that don’t have antlers.

Looking at the antlers, you will see that mule deer typically have larger antlers, and theirs are “bifurcated,” meaning the points fork off the main beam. So the antlers fork into two, and then two points come off each of those points. White-tail deer antlers have four points coming directly off the beam. Sometimes, an additional point comes off each side, resulting in 10-point bucks.

3. Reindeer

Reindeer are easily identified by their antlers. You won’t see a reindeer and think, “Hmm, is that a whitetail?” Of course, the obvious giveaway may be where you are when you see these deer because reindeer live in the arctic conditions in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. In Europe, caribou are called reindeer. In the U.S., wild caribou are called caribou, while domesticated caribou are called reindeer.

The antlers on reindeer are huge. Also, female reindeer grow antlers too! For adult male reindeer, their antlers can measure up to 51 inches. Females are quite a bit smaller but still impressive-looking. Reindeer antlers have a long main beam that extends upward and forks above their head with a ‘bez tine,’ then branches out to the side to form multiple tines.

4. Caribou

As mentioned above, reindeer and caribou are the same animal but are given different names depending on location. Let’s look at what we commonly call caribou in the U.S., or wild caribou. Caribou used to live in the lower 48 states, but in early 2019, the last surviving member of the South Selkirk caribou was safely transported to a 20-acre reserve in Revelstoke, British Columbia. This population used to spend time in the mountains of Washington and Idaho and migrate back to British Columbia, but now there are no wild caribou remaining in the contiguous United States; the population exists only in Canada.

Caribou live in Alaska and the northern countries of Canada, Greenland, Russia, Mongolia, Norway, and Finland. Some of these countries refer to them as reindeer. They live in both mountain and forest habitats. Both male and female caribou grow antlers. You can tell the difference between the males and females because the males are generally larger and have larger antlers. Another fun fact is that female caribou don’t lose their antlers in the late fall; they keep them until after they give birth to their calves the following spring.

5. Moose

Moose are easy to identify with their massive, thick antlers. The antlers fork out from the sides of their heads and branch upward, forming what looks like a cupped hand. In fact, the central part of the antlers is called “the palm” and is frequently measured by moose hunters as an important measurement. Moose antlers can reach and even exceed six feet in width, with the world record being over 75 inches. The points on the moose’s antlers are more rounded when compared to the points of a white-tail deer.

Besides having massive antlers, moose themselves are massive creatures. Until you see a photo of a person standing by one or experience one in real life, it is hard to explain just how big a moose can get. Moose can stand 6 feet tall at the shoulder—that’s at the shoulder, not including the head and antlers! They are also hefty animals, weighing in at an average of 1,400 pounds. Of course, the males become a little lighter every winter after they shed their giant antlers.

6. Elk

Elk can be found in western North America, living in some of the forest and mountainous regions. They are common in Yellowstone National Park and the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming. Darker in color and sporting a dark, shaggy neckline, you may be surprised at how big elk are as well. Although not as large as moose, adult males can weigh between 700 and 1,100 pounds. The males are called “bull elk”. Only the males have antlers.

You might ask, “What are antlers for?” In general, for all the deer family animals, the antlers play a role in mate selection. The health and size of the antlers often display the vigor of the male, making him a more attractive mate for passing on his genes. The males also use their antlers to show dominance over other males by sparring and clashing their antlers in a fight. They may fight until one backs down and retreats, leaving the dominant winner standing its ground.

7. Other “Deer”

While we know that animals in the Cervidae family have antlers, there are some exceptions, and some animals that look like deer—even have “deer” in their name—but are not “true deer.” Let’s look at just a couple of the unique ones, including some deer with fangs instead of antlers!

Water Deer

Water deer, or Chinese water deer, are a small deer species that lives in Asia and is also known as vampire deer. One look at them and you will understand why! Their canine teeth grow into long, sharp fangs or tusks that give them a vampire-like appearance. Water deer only grow to about 2 feet tall, so they are nowhere near as large as the white-tailed deer. Chinese water deer are one of the few deer species that do not have antlers.

Musk Deer

Musk deer also have fangs, which can reach lengths of up to 4 inches—a little longer than those of water deer. They look very similar to water deer but are not considered “true deer”; they are in the Moschidae family. Musk deer live in central and northeast Asia. One thing that musk deer have that true deer do not is an abdominal musk gland. This musk is used to make perfumes and soaps.

Pudu

This deer only gets to be 2 feet tall! Pudu is the smallest deer in the world, and they are “true deer”. There are 2 kinds of pudu, northern and southern, both living in South America. Pudu only grows to be 14-17 inches tall and about 30 inches long. So, do pudu have fangs? Antlers? Nothing? Pudu do have antlers, but they are much less impressive. Two small, thin antlers curve slightly off the tops of the males’ heads, ending in a point. The antlers range in size from 2.6 to 3 inches, which is certainly not something that would be displayed above the fireplace! Pudu are solitary animals and will bark if frightened. It seems they were made for a peaceful life, so you can’t argue with that.

Mouse Deer

What about mouse deer? They are smaller than pudu, so why are pudu considered the smallest deer? Mouse deer, or chevrotains, are not “true deer”; they are in the family Tragulidae. Chevrotains, however, are considered the smallest hoofed animals in the world. These petite animals only reach heights of 12 inches (that’s only a foot!) and weigh between 1.5 and 17.75 pounds. The Java mouse deer is the smallest of all the different mouse deer species. Mouse deer do not have antlers, but they do have long canine teeth similar to water deer. Can you imagine a one-foot-tall mouse deer posing next to a moose that stands over six feet tall? The animal world has some amazing creatures!