Antler Atlas – Antler Chandeliers and Furniture by Crystal Farm

Sika

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:42:13 +0000

Range

Japan

Japan
Sika
Cervus nippon

The sika deer is one of the few deer species that does not lose its spots upon reaching maturity. Spot patterns vary with region. The mainland subspecies have larger and more obvious spots, in contrast to the Taiwanese and Japanese subspecies, whose spots are nearly invisible. Many introduced populations are from Japan, so they also lack significant spots.

The color of the pelage ranges from mahogany to black, and white individuals are also known. During winter, the coat becomes darker and shaggier and the spots less prominent, and a mane forms on the back of the males’ necks. They are medium-sized herbivores, though they show notable size variation across their several subspecies and considerable sexual dimorphism, withmales invariably much larger than females. They can vary from 50 to 110 cm (20 to 43 in) tall at the shoulder and from 95 to 180 cm (37 to 71 in) in head-and-body length. The tail measures 7.5–13 cm (3.0–5.1 in) long.

The largest subspecies is the Manchurian sika deer, in which males commonly weigh about 68–109 kg (150–240 lb) and females weigh 45–50 kg (99–110 lb), with large stags scaling up to 160 kg (350 lb), although there had been records of Yezo sika deer bulls to weigh up to 170 kg (370 lb) or 200 kg (440 lb). kg (440 lb).

On the other end of the size spectrum, in the Japanese sika deer (C. n. nippon), males weigh 40–70 kg (88–154 lb) and females weigh 30–40 kg (66–88 lb).[9][10] All sikas are compact and dainty-legged, with short, trim, wedge-shaped heads and a boisterous disposition. When alarmed, they often display a distinctive flared rump, much like the American elk.

In the city of Nara, the old capital of Japan, deer roam free. These are sika or spotted deer, which are native to East Asia and have white spots on their backs. At the end of a lantern-lit path, where Nara Park begins to disintegrate into the Kasuga Primeval Forest, stands Kasuga-Taisha.

This Shinto shrine is a sacred place for deer, with a deer statue adorning its temizuya (purifying water fountain) and a variety of deer omamori (charms) for sale. There are four deities enshrined here, one being Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto, the god of thunder from Kashima in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Its name comes from shika, the Japanese word for “deer”. In Japan, the species is known as the nihonjika, “Japan deer”.

According to Japanese mythology, Takemikazuchi-no- Mikoto came to visit Nara riding upon a white deer. Since then, the deer of Nara were believed to be messengers of the gods. At Kasuga-Taisha you can also purchase white deer figurines with omikuji (fortunes). Apart from being adorable, these also hark back to this belief. They are literally holding divine messages about your future in their little porcelain mouths. Choose wisely.

Kudu

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:40:27 +0000

Range

Japan

African Kudu
Lesser kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis
Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros

Two species of spiral-horned antelopes (tribe Tragelaphini, family Bovidae). The very large greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is common in southern African wildlife reserves. The svelte lesser kudu (T. imberbis) is an elusive dweller in the arid lowland thornbush of northeast and East Africa. Both species have corkscrew horns (in males only), depend on cover for food and concealment, and form small herds.

The greater kudu also has white forelegs with dark garters and a black-tipped tail. Males have a beard, turn darker with age, and possess the longest horns of any antelope: 120–180 cm (47–71 inches) along the curve. These horns take six years of growth to complete two full turns; the horn’s size and shape keep pace with and advertise the dominance status of the bearer.

The lesser kudu is vividly marked with 11–15 vertical white stripes, broad chest and throat patches, a nose chevron, and cheek patches. The legs are tawny and decorated with black and white patches, the tail is bushy with a white underside and a black tip, and there is a short, erectile dorsal crest but no beard.

The horns of mature males make two and a half (rarely three) turns and mesure 60–90 cm (24–35 inches) along the outer curve.

Both kudus are cover-dependent browsers that feed on more than 100 different trees, shrubs, vines, herbs, seedpods, and fruits, as well as a little new grass. Eating greens enables them to inhabit waterless country, yet greater kudus regularly drink at water holes. Both species depend on the green growth along watercourses in the dry season and disperse through deciduous woodlands in the rains.

Impala

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:39:29 +0000

Range

Africa

Africa
Impala
Aepyceros melampus

The impala, Aepyceros melampus is a medium sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of the genus Aepyceros, it was first described to European audiences by German zoologist Hinrich Lichtenstein in 1812. Two subspecies are recognised—the common impala, and the larger and darker black-faced impala. The impala reaches 70–92 centimetres (28–36 inches) at the shoulder and weighs 40–76 kg (88–168 lb). It features a glossy, reddish brown coat. The male’s slender,lyre-shaped horns are 45–92 centimetres (18–36 inches) long.

Active mainly during the day, the impala may be gregarious or territorial depending upon the climate and geography. Three distinct social groups can be observed: the territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The impala is known for two characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy. Browsers as well as grazers, impala feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods (whenever available). An annual, three-week-long rut takes place toward the end of the wet season, typically in May. Rutting males fight over dominance, and the victorious male courts female in oestrus. Gestation lasts six to seven months, following which a single calf is born and immediately concealed in cover. Calves are suckled for four to six months; young malesforced out of the all-female groups—join bachelor herds, while females may stay back

The impala is found in woodlands and sometimes on the interface (ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water. While the black-faced impala is confined to southwestern Angola and Kaokoland in northwestern Namibia, the common impala is widespread across its range and has been reintroduced in Gabon and southern Africa.

Impala Diet

Impala feed on soft and nutritious grasses such as Digitaria macroblephara; tough, tall grasses, such as Heteropogon contortus and Themeda triandra, are typically avoided Impala on the periphery of the herds are generally more vigilant against predators than those feeding in the centre; a foraging individual will try to defend the patch it is feeding on by lowering its head.A study revealed that time spent in foraging reaches a maximum of 75.5% of the day in the late dry season, decreases through the rainy season, and is minimal in the early dry season (57.8%).

Gemsbok

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:38:43 +0000

Range

Africa

Africa
Gemsbok
Oryx gazella

Gemsbok are light brownish-grey to tan in colour, with lighter patches toward the bottom rear of the rump. Their tails are long and black in colour. A blackish stripe extends from the chin down the lower edge of the neck, through the juncture of the shoulder and leg along the lower flank of each side to the blackish section of the rear leg. They have muscular necks and shoulders, and their legs have white ‘socks’ with a black patch on the front of both the front legs, and both genders have long, straight horns.

Comparably, the East African oryx lacks a dark patch at the base of the tail, has less black on the legs (none on the hindlegs), and less black on the lower flanks. One very rare colour morph is the “golden oryx”, in which the gemsbok’s black markings are muted and appear to be golden.

Gemsbok are the largest species in the genus Oryx. They stand about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) at the shoulder.The body length can vary from 190 to 240 cm (75 to 94 in) and the tail measures 45 to 90 cm (18 to 35 in). Male gemsbok can weigh between 180 and 240 kg (400 and 530 lb), while females weigh 100–210 kg (220–460 lb).

The gemsbok is generally a grazer but changes to browsing during the dry season or when grass is sparse. It may dig up to a meter deep to find roots and tubers, supplementing its water intake by eating wild tsama melons and cucumbers, which can provide all the water required (3 liters per 100 kg bodyweight and day).

Gemsbok are one of the few antelope species where female trophies are sometimes more desirable than male ones. A gemsbok horn can be fashioned into a natural trumpet and, according to some sources, can be used as a shofar.

Meaning of the Name

The name “gemsbok” in English is derived from Afrikaans gemsbok, which itself is derived from Dutch name of the male chamois, gemsbok, and further from German Gämse (“chamois”). Although some superficial similarities in appearance (especially in the facial pattern) are noticed, the chamois and the oryx are not closely related. The usual pronunciation in English is /ˈɡɛmzbɒk/.

Fallow

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:37:52 +0000

Range

Europe

The fallow deer (Dama dama) is a species of ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. It is native to Europe, but has been introduced around the world.

European
Fallow
Dama Dama

The fallow deer was native to most of Europe during the last interglacial. In the Pleistocene (the last ice age) the distribution was restricted to the Middle East and refugia in parts of the Mediterranean Basin: Sicily, Anatolia and the Balkan.

Pleistocene fallow deer were larger, extant populations have evolved into smaller animals.

Humans began to expand the distribution of this deer in the last two millennia by introducing it throughout Europe and further. In the Levant, fallow deer were an important source of meat in Palaeolithic cultures (420,000–200,000 BCE), as is shown by bones, also used for conserving the marrow for eating weeks after the kill, found in the Qesem cave.

The species appears to have disappeared from the southern Levant in the following Epipalaeolithic Natufian culture, 13,000–7,500 BCE, although gazelle and especially roe deer proliferated, perhaps because of climate change (increased aridity and the decrease of wooded areas), in combination with changing land use patterns and hunting pressure. At the same time the taxon persisted in the north in the Galilee region and the north of the WestBank.

A small herd, believed to be the oldest in the United States, exists in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) in far western Kentucky and Tennessee. The fallow deer herd in the LBL “was brought to LBL by the Hillman Land Company in 1918. LBL’s herd is believed to be the oldest population of fallow deer in the country, and at one time was the largest.

Name Origin

The name fallow is derived from the deer’s pale brown color. The Latin word dāma or damma, used for roe deer, gazelles, and antelopes, lies at the root of the modern scientific name, as well as the German Damhirsch, French daim, Dutch damhert, and Italian daino. In Croatian and Serbian, the name for the fallow deer is jelen lopatar (“shovel deer”), due to the form of its antlers. The Modern Hebrew name of the fallow deer is yachmur.

European Roe

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:36:49 +0000

Range

Europe

Europe
European Roe
Capreolus capreolus

The roe deer is a relatively small deer, with a body length of 95–135 cm (3.1–4.4 ft) throughout its range, and a shoulder height of 63–67 cm (2.1–2.2 ft), and a weight of 15–35 kg (33–77 lb). Populations from Urals and northern Kazakhstan are larger on average growing to 145 cm (4.8 ft) in length and 85 cm (2.8 ft) at shoulder height, with body weights of up to 60 kg (130 lb), with the deer populations becoming smaller again further east in the Transbaikal, Amur Oblast, and Primorsky Krai regions.

Bucks are slightly larger than in does in healthy populations (where the population density is restricted by hunting or predators). Males from populations in bad conditions are similar or slightly smaller than females.

Bucks in good conditions develop antlers up to 20–25 cm (8–10 in) long with two or three, rarely even four, points.

When the male’s antlers begin to regrow, they are covered in a thin layer of velvet-like fur which disappears later on after the hair’s blood supply is lost. Males may speed up the process by rubbing their antlers on trees, so that their antlers are hard and stiff for the duels during the mating season.

Unlike most cervids, roe deer begin regrowing antlers almost immediately after they are shed.

Within Europe the roe deer occurs in most areas with the exception of northernmost Scandinavia, in Norway it occurs throughout the country with the exception of parts of northern Vestland and northernmost Nordland (north of Narvik), and the islands of Iceland, Ireland and those of the Mediterranean Sea islands. In the Mediterranean region, it is largely confined to mountainous areas, and is absent or rare at low altitudes.

There is an early Neolithic fossil record from Jordan. It is known there are roe deer that live in the Red Forest near Chernobyl.

Roe Life

Roe deer mate during July and August. After 10 months the female gives birth to 1-3 (usually 2) fawns, usually in May/June. They become mature when they are 1 1/2 year old. Roe deer can live up to 10-12 years in the wild, in captivity up to 17 years.

Elk

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:34:22 +0000

Range

North America
Central and East Asia

Rocky Mountain Elk
Rucervus duvaucelii

The elk (Cervus canadensis), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in North America, as well as Central and East Asia. It is often confused with the larger Alces alces, which is called moose in North America, but called elk in British English, and related names in other European languages (German Elch, Swedish älg, French élan). The name “wapiti” is used in Europe for Cervus canadensis. It originates from the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti, meaning “white rump”.

Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. Male elk have large antlers which they shed each year. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling (sparring), and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations that establishes dominance over other males and attracts females.

Although it is currently native to North America and eastern Asia, it had a much wider distribution in the past. Populations were present across Eurasia into Western Europe during the Late Pleistocene and survived into the early Holocene in southern Sweden and the Alps.

The elk has adapted well in countries where it has been introduced, including Argentina and New Zealand. Its adaptability may in fact threaten endemic species and the ecosystems into which it has been introduced.

Elk are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be transmitted to livestock. Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from elk populations, largely by vaccination, have had mixed success. Some cultures revere the elk as having spiritual significance. In parts of Asia, antlers and their velvet are used in traditional medicines. Elk are hunted as a game species. Their meat is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken.

Elk were long believed to belong to a subspecies of the European red deer (Cervus elaphus), but evidence from many mitochondrial DNA genetic studies beginning in 1998 shows that the two are distinct species. Key morphological differences that distinguish C. canadensis from C. elaphus are the former’s wider rump patch and paler-hued antlers.

Eland

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:32:43 +0000

Range

Africa

Africa
Eland
Taurotragus oryx

The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus. An adult male is around 1.6 metres (5′) tall at the shoulder (females are 20 centimetres (8″) shorter) and can weigh up to 942 kg (2,077 lb) with an average of 500–600 kg (1,100–1,300 lb), 340–445 kg (750–981 lb) for females). It is the second largest antelope in the world, being slightly smaller on average than the giant eland. It was scientifically described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766.

Mainly an herbivore, its diet is primarily grasses and leaves. Common elands form herds of up to 500 animals, but are not territorial. The common eland prefers habitats with a wide variety of flowering plants such as savannah, woodlands, and open and montane grasslands; it avoids dense forests. It uses loud barks, visual and postural movements and the flehmen response to communicate and warn others of danger. The common eland is used by humans for leather, meat, and rich, nutritious milk, and has been domesticated in many areas.

It is native to Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe but is no longer present in Burundi. While the common eland’s population is decreasing, it is classified as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The common eland is sometimes farmed and hunted for its meat, and in some cases can be better used than cattle because it is more suited to African climates. This has led to some Southern African farmers switching from cattle to eland. Common elands are also pictured as supporters in the coat of arms of Grootfontein, Namibia.

Eland Facts

The common eland is better adapted than cattle to the African environment, and is easily domesticated. It has been farmed for its meat and milk in both South Africa and Russia. A female can produce up to 7kg of milk per day, which is richer in fat than cow milk.

Dik Dik

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 14:31:09 +0000

Range

Africa

African
Dik Dik
Madoqua kirkii

A dik-dik is the name for any of four species of small antelope in the genus Madoqua that live in the bushlands of eastern and southern Africa. Dik-diks stand about 30–40 centimetres (12–15.5 in) at the shoulder, are 50–70 cm (19.5–27.5 in) long, weigh 3–6 kilograms (6.6–13.2 lb) and can live for up to 10 years. Dik-diks are named for the alarm calls of the females. In addition to the females’ alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill, whistling sound. These calls may alert other animals to predators.

Female dik-diks are somewhat larger than males. The males have horns, which are small (about 7.6 centimetres or 3 in), slanted backwards and longitudinally grooved. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft that sometimes partially conceals the short, ribbed horns of the male. The upper body is gray-brown, while the lower parts of the body, including the legs, belly, crest, and flanks, are tan. A bare black spot below the inside corner of each eye contains a preorbital gland that produces a dark, sticky secretion. Dik-diks insert grass stems and twigs into the gland to scent-mark their territories.

Apparently to prevent overheating, dik-diks have elongated snouts with bellows-like muscles through which blood is pumped. Airflow and subsequent evaporation cools this blood before it is recirculated to the body. However, this panting is only implemented in extreme conditions; dik-diks can tolerate air temperatures of up to 40 °C (104 °F).

Dik-dik are herbivorous and their diets consist mainly of foliage, fruits, shoots, and berries. Due to their adaptations, dik-diks are water-independent and rely on vegetation as a source of water. Kirk’s dik-diks are concentrate selectors, feeding selectively on dicotyledonous plants that can be rapidly fermented and digested. This includes leaves and fruit high in nutrients and water, but low in fiber and cellulose. Grasses are only consumed when they are germinating and Kirk’s dik-diks have stomach capacities and mass that consist of 8.5–10.0% of body mass when full and 2.2% when empty”.They consume roughly 3.8% of their body mass daily.

Meaning of the Name

The dik-dik’s name is derived from its call. When they feel threatened, dik-diks lie low to prevent detection. If they are discovered, they run in a swift, zigzag-like pattern until they reach refuge in a nearby thicket. During this ‘flight’, they emit trumpet-like “zik-zik” calls to raise an alarm or to harass predators and publicize the presence of a mated pair.

Barasingha

dan@frankdan.com — Thu, 06 May 2021 13:26:05 +0000

Range

India

India
Barasingha
Rucervus duvaucelii

The barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), also called swamp deer, is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern Nepal. It is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The specific name commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Duvaucel.

The barasingha is a large deer with a shoulder height of 44 to 46 in and a head-to-body length of nearly 6 ft (180 cm). Its hair is rather woolly and yellowish brown above but paler below, with white spots along the spine. The throat, belly, inside of the thighs and beneath the tail is white. In summer the coat becomes bright rufous-brown. The neck is maned. Females are paler than males. Young are spotted. Average antlers measure 30 in (76 cm) round the curve with a girth of 5 in (13 cm) at mid beam. A record antler measured 104.1 cm (41.0 in) round the curve. Stags weigh 170 to 280 kg (370 to 620 lb). Females are less heavy, weighing about 130 to 145 kg (287 to 320 lb). Large stags have weighed from 460 to 570 lb (210 to 260 kg).

Rudyard Kipling in The Second Jungle Book featured a barasingha in the chapter “The Miracle of Purun Bhagat” by the name of “barasingh”. It befriends Purun Bhagat because the man rubs the stag’s velvet off his horns.