Many of our readers are spending more time in the woods now. As we all know, it takes a little skill and a lot of luck to cross paths with the deer you have been dreaming about. Most of those dreamy deer have antlers of course. But antlers aren’t the only physical feature that sets bucks apart from the best deer in the woods…I mean…does.
I was researching a pelage anomaly question when I discovered yet again that males are extra. Think about any shampoo commercial you have ever seen. What are you picturing?
Let me guess. The long shiny tresses or waves of thick locks that belong to a woman. Am I close?
I’m going to rock your world.
Males have thicker hair than females. Hair or fur serves many functions – it regulates body temperature, provides camouflage, and signals information. But all hair is not created equal as males of many species have thicker guard hair than females. This is true for white-tailed deer as well. Yes, 568 guard hairs from 29 captive deer were measured to come to this earth-shattering result.
How much thicker you ask? Male guard hairs were 15% thicker than female guard hairs. Multiply that by the 750-1000 guard hairs deer have per square centimeter. No wonder bucks look bigger than does – 15% of it is fur!
The reason for this is androgenic hormones (like testosterone). They promote the growth of secondary sexual characteristics, like antlers and beards. And mammal hair is particularly sensitive to it causing greater hair diameter. And higher androgen level has been linked to thicker hair in some species.
Why mammalian hair responds this way is not abundantly clear. It’s not thermoregulation as hair length not thickness is key to that, and females need to stay just as warm as males. In fact, there is no sex-related difference in hair depth between bucks and does. A couple of theories include protection against combat and aggression between males and what I am calling the fluff factor. Raising hairs that are 15% thicker makes you look d@mn impressive to your foes.
-Jeannine Fleegle
Wildlife Biologist
PA Game Commission
