Made Woods
July 22nd, 2010
Made Woods
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Are woods really made of wood on a moose's head?
If so, how's that possible?
Deer, elk, and moose antlers are not made of wood, nor skin and hair. They are growths of bone. Animals that have horns (like pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and cows) are not bone, but usually have a bone core covered by a keratin sheath (keratin is what our fingernails are made of). When antlers are forming they are covered with a soft, fuzzy substance called "velvet," which provides the blood supply and nutrients to the growing antlers. Once growth is finished the velvet peels off, leaving bone behind. Antlers are shed and grown again year after year, while horns built from keratin are permanent, and simply grow continuously.