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stranger
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stranger
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Inquiry: Is there a verb and/or noun for the action by male deer, when their antlers are almost grown, to rub their antlers against trees in order to rub off the gelatinous covering known as "velvet"??
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hello lovetodance, and welcome to the board. I did a little googling and this is what I came up with:
Antlers are a tissue that develops under the "velvet", a soft skin-like protective covering. Since they are one of the fastest growing things on the planet, right up there with the science projects in my refrigerator and the elephant grass in my yard, they need a covering that is elastic. Nowhere did I read that it was gelatinous. When the deer enter the pre-rut season, rising testosterone levels harden the tissue and the velvet is no longer required to feed and protect the antlers and so it dries up and is sloughed off. This is an irritant (think itchy scabs) that prompts the deer to rub their antlers against trees and such to rid themselves of the irritant and also is part of the process of marking their territory for mating purposes. The terms I ran across for this are "rub" and "scrape". If you were looking for words that sound a little more edumacated, consider these two:
From thefreedictionary.com
Noun 1. detrition - erosion by friction
2. detrition - the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice
3. detrition - effort expended in rubbing one object against another
or
Noun 1. decortication - removal of the outer covering of an organ or part
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Per my deer-hunting husband: rub is what they do against trees; scrape is what they do against the ground. They rub the velvet off because it begins to itch. To mark territory, they rub the gland on the top of their head against a branch (presumably so the other bucks will know how big and bad they are), and scrape a patch of dirt with their hooves, then urinate on it.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Well, that's kinda what I understood, too, but figured the rubbing of the velvet was more like a little pre-rut practice. It prolly even gets the secretions in the head gland started. It always works for me, dear  [leaning out the window, whistling "Begin the Beguine"]
Last edited by consuelo; 12/19/05 03:52 AM.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
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because it begins to itch
On second thought, I wonder how they found out that deer are capable of feeling the itch? Just because it is a relatively elementary feeling (but different from pain), we tacitly project in on these animals? Is Consciousness necessary for feeling (and reacting to) an itching?
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
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Quote:
lovetodance
Worst. Username. Ever.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Saw this in today's paper. A guy in Iowa was dressing out a 14-point deer he had shot and discovered it was a doe! The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said this was uncommon but not unheard of. The did say this was a very large rack for such a deer (DO NOT GO THERE!!!) so they are checking to see whether it's a world record for a doe.
TEd
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Quote:
Is Consciousness necessary for feeling (and reacting to) an itching?
Dogs scratch fleas, cats do too. Pigs, horses and cows rub up against whatever's handy when they have an itch to scratch. Or am I just projecting?
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Quote:
because it begins to itch
On second thought, I wonder how they found out that deer are capable of feeling the itch? Just because it is a relatively elementary feeling (but different from pain), we tacitly project in on these animals? Is Consciousness necessary for feeling (and reacting to) an itching?
Define "consciousness."
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old hand
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old hand
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Define "consciousness."
Ha, of course someone had to come up with that  , I tried to provoke the acknowledgement that consciousness comprises such lowly things as itches - and animals have it.. The alternative would be a "reflex" (like the knee-jerk reflex), but that would be a rather involved reflex, seeking out an object to rub against!
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