Why are the antlers on a deer crossing sign backwards?

Brainyblonde

The deer on the sign is depicted in silhouette--a two-dimensional drawing. It wouldn't show anything like curving antlers. So if the deer had antlers that maybe curved around the head ... wouldn't they show up as backwards on a sign? On this hunch, I checked an encyclopedia that had pictures of deer ... and bingo! The deer you see on the traffic sign is one of the most common deer in North America--the white-tailed deer. This picture from the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia isn't the one I was looking at, but it does show that the antlers thrust forward. There's a better illustration in the online Encyclopedia Britannica (www.eb.com), but that's a subscription service so I can't give you a direct link. Trust me, though--it's a photo of a white-tailed that closely resembles the deer on the sign, antlers and all. http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdeer.html May 30 06, 8:22 AM

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Why do the ambulance cars always have their "Ambulance" sign written backwards, like in mirror reflection? Why do hummingbirds fly backwards? Why is a pattern of crossing lines called a 'crisscross?' Why is a pelican crossing called that? And no chicken jokes, please!

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