Growth of the first antler in Iberian red deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphus hispanicus</Emphasis>) |
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Authors: | Enrique Gaspar-López Andrés José García Tomás Landete-Castillejos Débora Carrión Jose A Estevez Laureano Gallego |
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Institution: | (1) Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain;(2) Sección de Recursos Cinegéticos, IDR, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain;(3) Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal, ETSIA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain |
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Abstract: | In this study, we describe the process of pedicle and first antler growth in Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) and document relationships among body development, maternal milk supply and composition, and maternal weight on the length
of first antlers. Antler length of 53 males of Iberian red deer was measured every 2 weeks from birth to 20 months of age.
Deer weight, age, and the date of occurrence of the major events during the antler growth cycle were also recorded. The first
evidence of pedicle development occurred when the animals were 38.0 ± 0.6 weeks old and weighed 60.7 ± 0.9 kg. Antler cleaning
took place at a mean age of 63.8 ± 0.7 weeks and a mean weight of 91.5 ± 1.8 kg. The antler growth period lasted 16.7 ± 0.4 weeks,
and the cleaning period lasted 5.1 ± 0.4 weeks. First antler growth followed a sigmoid curve, reaching a final length of 38.3 ± 1.0 cm.
Antler length was positively correlated with body weight during the antler growth cycle. Additionally, the final length of
the first antler was related to total milk yield, date of antler growth initiation, body weight at 6 months of age, and the
antler growth time interval. |
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Keywords: | Secondary sexual characters Male red deer Pedicle Velvet cleaning Antler cycle |
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