您現在的位置: > Language Tips > Easy English > Odd Question  
 





  Why do deer shed their antlers?
[ 2006-02-21 08:07 ]

   
  Deer
   
  Why do deer shed their antlers?
Deer shed their antlers annually as a prelude to the regeneration, or re-growth, of new ones.

The entire shedding process takes a mere two to three weeks to complete, and the re-growth phase takes place over the summer. The docile male deer that, with the exception of the male and the female reindeer, solely sports antlers, sheds them between January and April, after the autumn mating season draws to a close. He can do without antlers at this time, because his need for them in prior months, to attract and to impress females for his harem of mates, and to fight with his competitors for the females' affections, no longer exists.

The antlers themselves differ from the hollow horns of cattle, in that they comprise solid bone tissue with a honey combed structure. Pedicles, or knobby, skin-covered nubs protruding from the skull, support the deer's antlers, or points, which range in number from one shaft to eleven branches. The pedicles are a permanent fixture on the deer's forehead, and are the point from which the antlers annually break off.

During the first year the pedicles appear on the young deer's forehead. The following year, the youngster sprouts straight, spike-like shafts, and in the third year, the first branch appears. In successive years, as the deer matures, his antlers lengthen and, in most species, he acquires additional branches. One can actually determine the age of the deer from the number of branches on his antlers, as their number increases with age.

During the growth phase of the bony antlers, they are covered with a sensitive skin referred to as "velvet“, which is filled with blood vessels that feed the antlers the vitamins and the minerals necessary to build up the bone, and to promote normal antler growth. Antler growth spans two to four months, after which time the velvet is no longer needed, and a ring, which effectively serves as a shutoff valve, forms at the base of the antlers and cuts off the blood supply to the velvet. As a result, the velvet withers, dries up, and falls off, often assisted by the deer, which rubs his antlers against tree bark. The antler regeneration is complete, and the shedding cycle will resume once mating season in the fall concludes.

 

note:

prelude: 前奏

 

 

 

docile: 溫順的


sport
: 炫耀,賣弄
mating: 交配
draw to a close: 漸近結束
harem: 一群雌動物

 


pedicle: 肉莖
knobby: 多節的
nub: 小塊

 

 

 

 

 

 


velvet: 天鵝絨

 
 
 




主站蜘蛛池模板: 波多野结衣不打码视频| 免费人成在线观看69式小视频| 日韩人妻无码精品专区| 交换配乱吟粗大SNS84O| 草莓视频成人在线观看| 国产精自产拍久久久久久蜜| 中文字幕在线无码一区二区三区| 欧美变态另类刺激| 免费人妻精品一区二区三区| 亚洲国产欧美日韩精品小说| 精品无码一区二区三区| 国产成人综合亚洲一区| 99re在线这里只有精品免费| 我要c死你小荡货高h视频| 五月婷婷丁香在线| 歪歪漫画在线观看页面免费漫画入口弹窗秋蝉 | 好男人好资源影视在线4| 久久精品99久久香蕉国产| 欧美综合自拍亚洲综合图片区| 可以直接看的毛片| 黄色毛片免费看| 国产精品视频永久免费播放| www一区二区| 成年女性特黄午夜视频免费看 | 久久久久久久性潮| 极度虐乳扎钉子bdsm| 亚洲欧美第一页| 疯狂吃奶freesex| 四虎国产精品永久在线| 顾明月媚肉生香全文| 国产真实乱xxxav| 80s国产成年女人毛片| 女人18片毛片60分钟| 中文字幕一区视频| 日本暴力喉深到呕吐hd| 亚洲aⅴ男人的天堂在线观看| 永久久久免费浮力影院| 免费人成视频在线观看网站| 美女扒开内裤羞羞网站| 国产乱淫a∨片免费视频| 黑人巨茎大战白人美女|