Content
- What are the horns of animals for?
- Big Horned Animals
- 1. Rhino Chameleon
- 2. African buffalo
- 3. Mouflon
- 4. Capra falconeri (Pakistani wild goat)
- 5. Cape Oryx
- 6. Deer
- Long Horned Animals
- 1. Taurus
- 2. Antelopes
- 3. Impala
- 4. Tur del Caucasus
- 5. Ibex
- 6. Addax
- 7. Black Sable
- 8. Oryx kisses
- other horned animals
- 1. Giraffe
- 2. Okapi
- 3. Giant horned lizard
- 4. Bison
Animals have different morphological structures that allow them to fully develop in their environment. Among these structures are horns, common in some species of land animals, either to attract the opposite sex, defend themselves or obtain food, and some animals need them to survive.
Are you interested in knowing the species that have this characteristic? Check out this article by PeritoAnimal about what the horned animals, big, long and curled.
What are the horns of animals for?
before giving examples of horned animals, it is important to explain what they are. These are bone structures that protrude from the head of some animals, specifically the frontal bone of the skull. In addition to being formed by bones, they grow covered by a layer of keratin, and some species even develop horns protected with a soft layer of hair, which receives the name of velvet.
Although, what are the horns for? Most animals that have horns use it to defend themselves, either as a weapon against a predator or when they are in conflict between males over territory or mating. However, horns can fulfill other functions, one of which is to serve as a means to remove obstacles and even obtain food (scraping trees or branches). Furthermore, in the case of horned males, these are attractive elements during the mating period.
There are different types of horn shapes in animals, thick, wide, curled, spiral, between others. Read on and see examples of each of them.
Big Horned Animals
We begin the list of horned animals by highlighting a few species that have large, robust horns. Some examples are:
1. Rhino Chameleon
There are many types of chameleons but in this article we will highlight the Jackson chameleon or Jacksonii Trioceros. Due to the size of their horns in relation to the body, they are considered one of the animals with larger horns. They have three horns on their heads, which can change color as the chameleon changes.
2. African buffalo
The African buffalo (syncerus caffer) is a bovine that, as the name indicates, is part of the list of animals in Africa. One of its most outstanding features is its horns, making it part of the list of horned curled animals. In addition to being long, they curve at the ends until they form a semi-circle.
3. Mouflon
The common mouflon (ovis orientalis musimon) belongs to the goat family. live in regions mountainous of Europe and it stands out for its great horns, which curl around the ends of its head.
4. Capra falconeri (Pakistani wild goat)
The Capra falconeri is a species of Pakistani origin, it is among the most beautiful coiled horned animals in the world. Its horns can measure up to 1.5 meters and form very elongated curves.
5. Cape Oryx
The Cape Oryx is an African antelope known for its large horns. This feature is present in both males and females, but males have longer, sharper, and thicker horns.
6. Deer
Deer are a family of ruminants characterized by big horns that males have, formed of bony material, so it is possible to classify them as horns. These horns change every year, in a process known as bone regeneration. They allow males to fight over females, in addition to establishing their position among their kin.
Long Horned Animals
The animals in the previous list stand out for having large and very flashy horns. In this list you will see some examples of animals with horns that stand out for being long.
1. Taurus
The bull is one of the best known animals with horns, this bovine has horns that end in a point. THE difference between bulls and oxen are that, bulls are fertile adult males and oxen are castrated adult males.
2. Antelopes
Antelopes are a group of several species and subspecies of ungulate mammals. The horns of antelope are long and, in some cases, can be curled. However, most of them are bones. You antelopes use the horns to fight during mating, establish hierarchies and protect themselves from predators.
3. Impala
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) belongs to the antelopes family but has a smaller size. Males have horns of almost 1 meter, which adopt curved shapes but are not actually curled.
4. Tur del Caucasus
The Western Caucasus Tour (Caucasian capra) is part of the family of goats. Males and females have horns, and male horns are larger, reaching 75 centimeters and curling towards the loin.
5. Ibex
The ibex (capra ibex) is a bovine that inhabits the mountainous Alps. Females and males have horns, but in males they can reach up to 1 meter, in addition to being thick and with different protuberances throughout their length.
6. Addax
The addax (Addax nasomaculatus) belongs to the antelopes family. It has long, slender horns slightly curled as they grow upward.
7. Black Sable
The black sable (Hippotragus niger) is a goat belonging to the list of African horned animals. It has an elegant appearance, with long horns that end in a point. Thanks to these horns, the black sable can defend itself from predators and fight with other males to conquer females.
8. Oryx kisses
The oryx-beisa or east-african oryx (Oryx kisses) is a species of antelope from Africa. It has wide, thin and straight horns, with which it protects itself from predators.
Image: Oryx kisses
other horned animals
To finish this list of animals with horns, let's exemplify some animals that, despite having horns, are different from those mentioned above, for example:
1. Giraffe
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is among African horned animals. Females and males have horns that are named osicone. Ossycones form part of the skull and are covered by cartilage and hair. The horns allow giraffes to face predators and even fight them. Furthermore, they are a way to identify the age and gender of each individual.
2. Okapi
The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is an African mammal species related to giraffes. In addition to its curious appearance (brown loin with striped legs similar to zebras), it has two little horns in the head. However, these horns seem to have no use for the species.
3. Giant horned lizard
The giant horned lizard (Phrynosoma asio) is one of the horned animals of Mexico. The species has spines all over the loin, but on top of the head it has real horns, made of bone material.
4. Bison
Bisons are a group of artiodactyl mammals that are found in North America and Mexico. Bison's horns are hollow and short.
If you want to read more articles similar to Horned Animals: Features and Photos, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.