. The Canadian field-naturalist. 454 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 90 LAST POINT TO APPEAR SCALE OF INCHES 5 0 5 10. LEFT ANTLER ANTLER GROWTH PRIOR TO JUNE 23 JUNE 23- JULY 17 M JULY 17 - JULY 25 JULY 25 - AUG. 5 LAST POINTS TO APPEAR Figure 4. The growth of antlers of a 41/2-year-old captive stag. observations. Millais (1907) listed the velvet-shedding peri- od for Newfoundland stags as 7-12 September. My observations in 1957 began on 11 Sep- tember; on that date I recorded two stags in velvet, one stag in the process of shedding, and a fourth animal with polished antlers. The follow- i
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 454 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 90 LAST POINT TO APPEAR SCALE OF INCHES 5 0 5 10. LEFT ANTLER ANTLER GROWTH PRIOR TO JUNE 23 JUNE 23- JULY 17 M JULY 17 - JULY 25 JULY 25 - AUG. 5 LAST POINTS TO APPEAR Figure 4. The growth of antlers of a 41/2-year-old captive stag. observations. Millais (1907) listed the velvet-shedding peri- od for Newfoundland stags as 7-12 September. My observations in 1957 began on 11 Sep- tember; on that date I recorded two stags in velvet, one stag in the process of shedding, and a fourth animal with polished antlers. The follow- ing day I saw three stags without velvet and a fourth animal with small antlers that had velvet still hanging on his antlers. The last stag recorded in velvet on 18 September in 1957 was a small 7-point stag. A vigorous, captive yearling shed his velvet on 4 October. With each succeeding set of antlers, he shed his velvet earlier (Table 4). Another captive stag shed his velvet when 2"/2, 3'/2, and 4'/4 years old on 16, 1, 14 September, respectively. Eighty percent of the does in Newfoundland shed their velvet 2 to 10 days (2-9 October) before coming into heat (Figure 6) (see Bergerud 1974a for dates of breeding). The perfod of velvet-shedding in these does was synchronized and abrupt (Figure 6). The remaining20% of the females shed their velvet 2 to 3 weeks prior to breeding (Figure 6); some of these latter does were possibly barren in the previous year. Non- pregnant does initiate antler growth 2 to 3 weeks earlier than fertile does and may complete the growth cycle earlier. Many of the does I watched at Mount Albert, Quebec shed their velvet 1 to 15 days before breeding commenced in 1959 (Figure 6) (see Bergerud 1973, for details on breeding). Caribou removed velvet by scratching with the hind feet and by rubbing the antlers on limber vegetation. I saw some animals eat their velvet. Contrary to popular opinion, in New- foundland most of the balsam fir (Abies bal-. Please
Size: 1535px × 1627px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorottawafieldnaturalistsclub, bookcentury1900, bookcolle
