Gary Mallet, age 10, of Grantsville, Utah, for his question:

DOES A MOOSE SHED HIS ANTLERS?

Yes, he does. In December the moose sheds his huge antlers, and they fall to the ground. The big fellow is the giant of the entire deer family, and only the male moose wears those huge, spreading antlers. But from December to April or May he gives up his crown.

Then a new set begins to grow, like small furry bumps on his head. As they grow, the bony antlers are nourished by a covering of flesh with nerves and blood vessels. Through the summer, the great crown spreads more than 6 feet wide, and all of it is covered with flesh, skin and velvety hair. The growing is finished in August. Then the velvety covering peels off. The magnificent moose rubs his huge new antlers against the trees to clean and polish them.