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Reindeer vs. Whitetail Deer: Antlers Female reindeer have antlers, and notably retain their antlers during the winter. Male reindeer, on the other hand, lose their antlers during winter and regrow ...
Female reindeer have antlers to protect themselves and their calves in an all-female herd. ... The GRCH used to be the world’s largest herd, with almost a million reindeer. Today, however, they ...
In 1994, reindeer hit peak numbers in Alaska at 1.1 million, then decreased to 660,000 today. Smaller herds travel in packs of 2,500 reindeer or less while there are a few herds with more than ...
When male reindeer shed their antlers in early to mid-winter, the antlered cows acquire the highest ranks in the feeding hierarchy, gaining access to the best forage areas. These cows are healthier than those without antlers. [135] Calves whose mothers do not have antlers are more prone to disease and have a significantly higher mortality. [135]
Reindeer were imported from Siberia in the late 19th century and from Norway in the early 1900s as semi-domesticated livestock in Alaska. [45] [46] Reindeer can interbreed with the native caribou subspecies, but they rarely do, and even then their offspring do not survive well in the wild. [47] [25]
Antlers originated once in the cervid lineage. [35] The earliest fossil remains of antlers that have been found are dated to the early Miocene, about 17 million years ago. These early antlers were small and had just two forks. [35] As antlers evolved, they lengthened and gained many branches, or tines, becoming more complex. [35]
Female reindeer grow antlers that are significantly smaller than their male counterparts. Male reindeer grow antlers as long as 50 inches after multiple seasons of shedding.
However, both male and female reindeer grow antlers. There are rare cases in other deer species in which the females grow little antlers, but this is usually a result of abnormal hormone levels.