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Mule Deer With Crazy Antler

Odocoileus hemionus

Published on Project Noah
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38.9462, -105.289

Field Notes

Description:

Mule deer, Local subdivision herd, this one is 2 yrs old. The same antler came in really weird last year looks kind of funky already! (we call him "Chet"). Thanks for the ID confirmation!

Habitat:

Alpine forest. 1 mile NE of Florissant Fossil Beds National; Monument, Florissant, Colorado.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (7)
CindyBinghamKeiser
If I could make a fourth mission, it would be Nature's Deformities or something like that. It's so interesting to see things like this. I have a woodpecker that's bill is super long and curved.
mmsbiodiversity89
I personally think that Chet may have had a mutation, or the antler bone may have grown like that, kind of like how baby cartilage "hardens" in the position it is set.
KristaHerman
I think Chet is a very suiting name. He is adorable.
YourVeryFlesh
What a bizarre angle! Anyway, this is definitely a mule deer. Antler abnormalities like this can be caused by genetic mutations, ageing or damage to the pedicle (base) of the antlers a blow to the head (which is common during the rut).
Photographed
PublishedJanuary 26, 2012

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