Why Do Deer Shed Their Antlers?

Nat Theo Nature Lessons Rooted in the Bible

Eryn Lynum

Kids & Family, Christianity, Education For Kids, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 613 Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2023

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Which animals have antlers? What are antlers made of? Why do deer shed their antlers? And what does all of this have to do with the way we live and follow Jesus? On this episode, we're exploring the antler world, playing a game of "Spot The Imposter," learning why people collect antlers, and discovering how we can shed our old ways and live in God's abundant life.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Order Eryn's new book: Rooted In Wonder: Nurturing Your Family's Faith Through God's Creation

Have a question for the Nat Theo podcast? Reach out at erynlynum.com/nattheo

Thank you to the Wildlife Anatomy book by Julia Rothman for assisting with my antler research

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

“If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Because of God you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin." 1 Corinthians 1:30

"Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. Christ is your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory...

But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk. Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God." Colossians 3:3-4, 8-10

“If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Discover more nature lessons rooted in the Bible at Erynlynum.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Magnify: A Wild & Wonderful Summer Adventure by Nat Theo

Join us for summer Bible & nature study! https://thenaturaltheologyproject.com/magnify

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the Nat Theo podcast, where we explore nature, the Bible, and what both of them show us about our
0:10.7	Creator God, who made this wild and wonderful world. I'm Aaron Linum, Master Naturalist, Bible
0:19.7	teacher, and author.
0:21.6	And I am so excited to explore God's Word and His created world with you.
0:30.6	Hi listeners, we are full swing into springtime, and I want to know what are some of your favorite signs of spring
0:40.7	is it watching the butterflies flying about or maybe watching birds building their nests and getting
0:47.8	ready to lay eggs maybe it's flowers poking up from the dirt or buds unfurling on trees. I love springtime. And one of my
0:59.1	favorite signs of spring is maybe something that you haven't thought about much. You see,
1:05.5	springtime is also when deer and other animals similar to deer shed their antlers. Today we are going to explore
1:14.9	what is an antler? Which animals have antlers? We're going to play a little game to spot
1:22.5	imposter antlers. We're going to learn why animals shed or lose their antlers, how we can find and
1:30.7	collect antlers, and what does all of this have to do with the way we live? First, what exactly
1:39.2	is an antler? What do you think they're made out of? Antlers that we see on deer and other
1:47.4	animals like them, they are made out of cartilage. Okay, so take your pointer finger and I want you
1:55.0	to put it on one side of your nose and gently push. Does your nose move a little bit? That's because it's made out of cartilage.
2:05.5	Cartilage is strong, but it's also kind of bendy and flexible. And this is what antlers on animals
2:12.1	start out as, and then slowly as they grow, that cartilage hardens into bone.
2:18.7	So when an animal sheds its antlers, they're actually losing bone.
2:24.0	Now, that might seem a little strange, but think about it.
2:27.8	Have you ever lost a tooth?
2:29.6	That means that you also have shed a bone.
2:33.5	Antlers are temporary. This means they're only for a time.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Eryn Lynum, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Eryn Lynum and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.