Impressive horns and antlers in the animal world

Horns and antlers are extensions of an animal’s skull and are usually only seen in males. Although horns and antlers look similar, there are significant differences between antlers and horned animals.

Antlers are branched, paired structures made entirely of bone and are shed annually, while horns are unbranched two-part structures with a bone core and covered by a keratin sheath. Either way, this unique headpiece looks stunning and showcases some of the most beautiful creatures in the animal kingdom.

Nubian goat

Illustration.

Few animals can match the horned splendor of the Nubian goat, a desert-dwelling goat found in the arid mountainous regions of Northern and Northeast Africa as well as the Middle East.

Both male and female goats have horns, but males wear them as a badge of honor. Solitary and shy, this species is vulnerable due to its dwindling numbers.

African pronghorn antelope

Also known as the white antelope, this antelope is known for its beautiful spiral horns found on both males and females. This species is sexually dimorphic, female antelopes are smaller than male antelopes.

Plumage color depends on the season – in winter, the fur is grayish brown with white legs and hindquarters, and long, brown hair grows on the head, neck, and shoulders; In summer, the coat returns to almost completely white or sandy yellow. The African addax is a critically endangered antelope species that occurs widely in North Africa and is native to Chad, Mauritania and Niger.

Reindeer

Reindeer, is a species of deer found in the Arctic tundra, Northern Europe, Siberia and North America. This species varies considerably in color and size.

Both sexes develop antlers, although in males the antlers are usually larger. There are a few females that lack antlers completely, this is the only deer species where both males and females grow antlers.

Red gazelle

The most colorful of the wildebeest family, the red wildebeest also has one of the most attractive shapes in the animal kingdom, the intricately curved horns of both sexes giving it a balanced shape. beautiful and attractive. The red stag calls southern Africa home.

Moose

Elk are the largest of all deer species. Males are instantly recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 1.82 m wide from one end to the other.

Black chamois

The blackbuck is an antelope native to India and Nepal. The males are distinctly two-toned, as if half of their inky black fur had been dipped in milk. Males have long, ring-shaped horns, and females can also develop horns.

Chamois

The markhor is a large, nearly threatened wild goat native to Central Asia, the Karakorum Mountains bordering China, India, Pakistan and the Himalayas. The distinctive spiral-shaped horns are a unique feature of the male chamois.

Alpine mountain goat

As its name suggests, the Alpine mountain goat is found in the European Alps. A wild goat species, both male and female Alpine mountain goats have large, reverse-curved horns with numerous ridges along their length. However, males are significantly larger.

European fallow deer

Fallow deer originated in Asia Minor, but are now found throughout Europe. Fallow deer have broad flat antlers, the largest of any Old World deer and the largest relative to their body size.

Chital deer

The chital deer, also known as the spotted deer due to the many white markings on its fur, is a species of deer native to the Indian subcontinent. Large, lyre-shaped antlers are found only in males.

Sable Antelope

Both male and female antelopes possess impressive ring-shaped horns that grow upright and curve backwards. This species inhabits the wooded savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from southern Kenya to South Africa. It is also found in pockets of Angola.

East African gazelle

The thin, straight, and ringed horns of the East African gazelle are found on both males and females. This species of antelope is found in East Africa and is listed as endangered by the IUCN.

Red Deer

The antlers of male red deer can grow to enormous sizes as it is one of the largest deer species. Red deer are native to most of Europe, Iran and parts of Western Asia, as well as the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Tunisia.

Saiga antelope

Often described as the world’s strangest antelope, the saiga antelope is instantly recognizable by its bulging, evenly spaced, downward-facing nostrils. Only males have thick, ring-shaped, slightly translucent, waxy horns. Saiga is found in semi-desert grasslands in Central Asia and is critically endangered.

Giant antelope

Classified by the IUCN as a vulnerable species, the giant antelope is native to lands from Senegal to the Nile (its relative, the western giant antelope, is critically endangered). Both sexes have a beautifully sculpted, tightly spiraled shape.

African buffalo

This large cow originates from sub-Saharan Africa. Its horns are its characteristic feature: they have a fused base, forming a continuous bony shield on top of the head. It is considered one of the most dangerous animals on the African continent.