44 Nebraskaland • August-September 2022
Deer Fangs
By Brian Peterson
n Nebraska, male white-tailed and mule deer are most
recognized by their elaborate, showy antlers. While we all
have observed deer or pictures of deer with antlers, have
you ever encountered a deer with fangs or tusks — canine
teeth? If you have, this is extremely rare, possibly a 1 in
10,000 occurrence.
Both whitetail and mule deer have two lower "incisiform"
canines which look and function like incisors and are used
for foraging and browsing vegetation, but a rare few have
upper canine teeth. Over the past 10 years while preparing
European skull taxidermy displays, I have encountered three
males, two whitetail and one mule deer, that exhibited upper
canine teeth. These canines were not visible to me, as they
were embedded in the gumline, until the skull was cleaned,
so maybe they are more common than reported, at least in
Nebraska.
Elk, the largest deer species in Nebraska, still retain canine
teeth in both males and females; commonly known as ivories,
whistlers or buglers, these teeth are smooth and rounded.
Upper canines in whitetail and mule deer may at fi rst
glance resemble the canine teeth in coyotes, bobcats and
mountain lions. However, these upper canines are not for
catching prey, but remnants of prehistoric tusks in extinct
deer species and several Asian species that retain tusks
today, for example tufted deer, musk deer, Chinese water deer
and muntjacs. Within today's Asian species, canine tusks are
used to fi ght other males during breeding season or for self-
defense against predators.
The occurrence of canines in deer is not well understood.
Multiple surveys within the United States estimated the
prevalence of canines ranging from 0-4 percent, with the most
extensive study conducted in New York State where 18,000
white-tailed deer were examined, and within the population,
less than 1 percent contained upper canines. Occurrence
of canines varies geographically, and when they occur, it
is primarily in males; however, some canines in females
have been reported. Canine teeth were fi rst documented in
Nebraska by a Nebraska Game and Parks biologist in 1963,
when two mule deer (1 male and 1 female) were observed
containing canine teeth at a deer check station in North
Platte.
The presence of canine teeth is likely a genetic trait,
however, the mechanism that expresses this trait is still
unclear. In addition, Nebraska deer and elk still possess a
I
Prehistoric and today's Asian deer like this tufted deer native to southern and central China have large, showy canine teeth.
THOMAS E. LABEDZ, COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA STATE MUSEUM
