Bull caribou
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
Like all deer, caribou shed and regrow their antlers every year -- a huge investment of calcium, phosphorus, and other resources to grow, and a heavy burden to carry. Unlike other deer, both sexes of caribou carry antlers, and also unlike many deer species, the antlers have a function besides fighting and display: the 'shovels' in front of the nose are used to push snow aside and help the animal find food during the winter. Most ofhese bulls are still in 'velvet' (the furry skin layer that covers growing antlers); the one at lower right has complete antlers but was a long way off on colorful fall tundra. They were photographed in Denali Park, Alaska
