Why Deer Don't Have Upper Front Teeth
By: NDTVNewsDesk
Image: Pexels
Deer lack upper front teeth because they have a hard dental pad on their upper jaw.
Image: Pexels
This pad, along with their lower incisors, functions as a cutting surface to tear plants.
Image: Pexels
This dental structure is common in ruminants and allows them to quickly gather large quantities of food.
Image: Pexels
They then grind the food with their molars. This adaptation helps them grasp tender parts of plants efficiently.
Image: Pexels
This combination functions like a pair of shears, allowing them to quickly grab and snip off vegetation.
Image: Pexels
Once they have torn off pieces of food, deer use their molars in the back of their mouths to grind it for digestion.
Image: Pexels
Like other ruminants, deer have a specialised digestive system with a rumen.
Image: Pexels
This allows them to eat large amounts of food and then later chew it and digest it in a safer location.
Image: Pexels
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