Animals have different morphological structures that allow them to fully develop in their environment. Among these structures are the horns, common in some species of land animals, either to attract the opposite sex, defend themselves or obtain food, some animals require them to survive.
Are you interested in knowing the species that have this peculiarity? Discover in this article on our site which are the animals with horns, large, long and twisted.
What are horns?
Before I show you some of the horned animals, ask yourself: what are the horns like? It's aboutBony structures that protrude from the head of some animals, specifically the frontal bone of the skull. In addition to being made of bone, they grow covered with a layer of keratin, and some species even develop horns protected by a soft layer of hair, which is called velvet.
Now then, What are horns for? Most animals that have horns use them fordefend , either as a weapon against predators or when there are conflicts between males over territory or mating. However, the horns can serve other functions. One of them is to serve as a means to remove obstacles and even to get food (scrape trees or branches). Also, in the case of males with horns, it is an attractive element during the mating period.
There are different shapes of horns: thick and thin, elongated, twisted and spiral. Next, we explain what the animals with horns are.
Animals with big horns
We will start the list of horned animals by highlighting some species that have large and robust horns, some examples are:
1. Rhinoceros chameleon
There are many types of chameleons, but in this article we highlight the Jackson's chameleon or Trioceros jacksonii by the size of their horns compared to the body, which lead it to be considered one of the animals with large horns They have three horns on their heads, which are capable of changing color as the chameleon does.
two. Cape Buffalo
The caffir buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovine that is part of the list of animals of Africa. One of its most remarkable characteristics is its horns, which place it among the animals with twisted horns: in addition to being long, they curve at the ends to form a semicircle.
3. Mouflon
The common mouflon (Ovis orientalis musimon) belongs to the goat family. It lives in mountainous areas of Europe and is notable for its large horns, which curve at the ends of its head.
4. Markhor goat
The Capra falconeri or major, the official species of Pakistan, is among the quintessential animals with twisted horns. Its horns can measure up to a meter and a half, and take curved and elongated shapes.
5. Cape Oryx
The Oryx gazella is an African antelope characterized by its large horns. These occur in males and females, but the males have longer, pointed and thicker horns.
6. Deer
Deer are a family of ruminants characterized by the large antlers that the males present, formed of bone material, which is why it is possible to classify them as horns. These antlers are shed annually, in a process known as "demogue." They allow males to fight over females, as well as establish their position among their peers.
Animals with long horns
The animals on the previous list stand out for having very large and striking horns, but below we will mention some that stand out for their length:
1. Bull
The bull is among the best-known long-horned animals. This bovid has horns ending in points The differences between a bull and an ox are that the former is a fertile adult male while the latter is a castrated adult male.
two. Antelopes
Under the name of antelopes several species and subspecies of hoofed mammals are included. Antelope horns are long, and some varieties are sometimes found among the twisted-horned animals. However, they are mostly hollow. Antelopes use their horns to fight during mating, establish hierarchies, and protect themselves from predators.
3. Impala
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) belongs to the antelope family, but is smaller in size. The males have horns almost a meter long, which adopt curved shapes, but are not twisted.
4. Caucasus Tour
The Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) is part of the goat family. Male and female have horns, being larger in the former, as they reach 75 centimeters and curve towards the back.
5. Ibex
The ibex (Capra ibex) is a bovine that inhabits the mountainous Alps. Females and males have horns, but in males these they reach up to a meter in length, as well as being thick and with different protuberances throughout their length.
6. Addax
The addax (Addax nasomaculatus) belongs to the antelope family. It features long, slender horns slightly twisted as they grow upward.
7. Sable Antelope
The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is a goat found in the African horned animals. It has an elegant appearance accompanied by long pointed horns. Thanks to these horns, the sable antelope can defend itself against predators and fight with competitors for females.
8. Beisa Oryx
The beisa oryx (Oryx beisa) is a species of antelope found in Africa. It has long, thin and straight horns with which it protects itself from predators.
Other horned animals
To finish we will add some animals that, although they have horns, are different from those mentioned above:
1. Giraffe
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is among the African horned animals. Females and males have them, they are called osiconsThe ossicones are part of the skull and are covered with cartilage and hair In giraffes, the horns allow them to face predators and even fight each other, in addition, it is a means of identifying the age and sex of each individual.
two. Okapi
The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a species of African mammal related to giraffes. Apart from its curious appearance (reddish-brown back with legs of striped fur similar to zebras), it has two small horns on its head. These horns, however, seem to have no apparent use in the species.
3. Giant Horned Lizard
The giant horned lizard (Phrynosoma asio) is among the horned animals of Mexico. The species has spines all over its back, but on top of its head it has two true horns, formed from bone material.
4. Bison
Under the name of bison are several species of artiodactyl mammals found in North America and Mexico. Bison horns are hollow and short.
