Rhinos, elk, buffalo, moose - they all have cool spiky headgear. But some have horns, while others have antlers. What’s the difference? Antlers are made of fast-growing bone, and they fall off each winter. Horns are not bone - they’re the same material as your fingernails, and the animal keeps them for life. Male deer, elk, moose, reindeer, caribou, and other animals in the “cervid” family all have antlers. And boy they grow fast: a moose can grow another pound a day!
Wee Ones: Name 3 animals who have antlers. Can you remember them from the story?
Little Kids: We think this deer’s antlers have 5 points on each side. Count to check! How many points are there in total?
Bonus: Point to what the deer considers his left antler. Then point to the deer’s right antler.
Big Kids: Who has more antler points, 5 moose with 8 points on each side, or 6 elk with 6 points on each side?
Bonus: If a herd of 200 moose stampedes down your street, and each moose has 7 points on each antler, how many points do all those moose have?
Answers:
Wee Ones: You could name deer, elk, moose, reindeer or caribou.
Little Kids: 10 points.
Bonus: The antler you see on your right is actually the deer’s left antler, since he’s facing the opposite direction from you.
Big Kids: The 5 moose win, with 40 left-side points vs. the elk’s 36. Or you could multiply it out to 80 points vs. 72, but you don’t need to do that to know which one is more!
Bonus: 2,800 points.
