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Both male and female reindeer grow antlers. This is a trait that no other species in the deer family possesses. The reason, a peculiar result of circumstances and biological luck, reflects.
Male fallow deer fighting Two sambar deer fighting, Silvassa, India. Antlers are unique to cervids. The ancestors of deer had tusks (long upper canine teeth). In most species, antlers appear to replace tusks. However, one modern species (the water deer) has tusks and no antlers and the muntjacs have small antlers and tusks.
While antlers are primarily a male instrument, reindeer are the only members of the deer family in which females are able to grow antlers as well. The sexes can be distinguished from each other by ...
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 have more prominent and denser antlers than whitetail deer. However, the critical difference is in sexual dimorphism. Female reindeer have antlers, while female whitetail deer don’t.
Male reindeer (bulls) weigh on average 70 to 150 kg (154 to 331 pounds), while females (cows) weigh on average 40 to 100 kg (88 to 220 pounds). Both bulls and cows have antlers, but cows do not use them to battle one another; instead, like some bovids, they use their antlers to defend food or territory from intruders. Their summer coat is ...