Skeletal System
The White Tailed Deer skeletal system provides protection, support and movement. It is also a source of calcium and and red blood cells for the body as it is made of bones, similar to the human skeletal system. Evolutionists believe the ancestors of the deer originally had five toes on each of their feet. Through evolution, the first toe corresponding to our thumb disappeared entirely. The second and fifth toes diminished in size and moved to the rear where they now function as dewclaws. The third and fourth toes became enlarged and form the main hooves as we know them today. Actually, the deer walks on its toenails instead of its toes. This type of foot is very efficient for fast movement over well-packed earth. Between the center hooves is the interdigital gland, which gives off a yellow, waxy substance that marks the ground as the deer walks. This enables the animals to track one another, particularly the doe to follow a straying fawn. Of course, it also enables predators to track the deer.
Buck deer have antlers for the main purpose of fighting other bucks during the breeding season. Most bucks lose their antlers during the months of December or January. They have nothing but the antler bases, called pedicels, on their heads until April. During this month, these bases start to swell with the growth of new cells. Horns that are not shed, such as those on mountain sheep, have a center core filled with blood cells which foster growth. Antlers of the deer are solid and nourished externally by a network of blood vessels called "velvet."
Buck deer have antlers for the main purpose of fighting other bucks during the breeding season. Most bucks lose their antlers during the months of December or January. They have nothing but the antler bases, called pedicels, on their heads until April. During this month, these bases start to swell with the growth of new cells. Horns that are not shed, such as those on mountain sheep, have a center core filled with blood cells which foster growth. Antlers of the deer are solid and nourished externally by a network of blood vessels called "velvet."