![]() Abelisauridae: Various abelisaurid theropods, such as Carnotaurus and Majungasaurus possessed extensions of the frontal bone which were likely covered in some form of keratinous integument.Ceratopsidae: The "horns" of the Triceratops were extensions of its skull bones, although debate exists over whether they had a keratin covering.Chamaeleonidae: Many chameleons, most notably the Jackson's chameleon, possess horns on their skulls, and have a keratin covering.Rhinocerotidae: The "horns" of rhinoceroses are made of keratin, the same substance as fingernails, and grow continuously, but do not have a bone core.When fully developed, antlers are dead bone without a horn or skin covering they are borne only by adults (usually males, except for reindeer) and are shed and regrown each year. Cervidae: Most deer have antlers, which are not true horns and made of bone.Giraffidae: Giraffes have one or more pairs of bony bumps on their heads, called ossicones.The term "horn" is also popularly applied to other hard and pointed features attached to the head of animals in various other families: Similar growths on other parts of the body are not usually called horns, but spurs, claws, or hooves, depending on the part of the body on which they occur. Partial or deformed horns in livestock are called scurs. Horns start to grow soon after birth and continue to grow throughout the life of the animal (except in pronghorns, which shed the outer layer annually, but retain the bony core). Horns usually have a curved or spiral shape, often with ridges or fluting. Polycerate (multi-horned) sheep breeds include the Hebridean, Icelandic, Jacob, Manx Loaghtan, and the Navajo-Churro. One pair of horns is usual however, two or more pairs occur in a few wild species and in some domesticated breeds of sheep. Cattle horns arise from subcutaneous connective tissue (under the scalp) and later fuse to the underlying frontal bone. In mammals, true horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae ( pronghorn) and Bovidae ( cattle, goats, antelope etc.). ![]() Horns are distinct from antlers, which are not permanent. A pair of horns on a male impala Anatomy and physiology of an animal's hornĪ horn is a permanent pointed projection on the head of various animals that consists of a covering of keratin and other proteins surrounding a core of live bone. It’s not uncommon to see impala rams locking horns as they compete between one another.Look up horn in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The loud almost barking sound can be heard as it reverberates across the bushveld. This is when the impala rams’ testosterone levels skyrocket causing them to fight for territory and dominance over females. Other antelope with twisted horns include the springbok, reedbuck, hartebeest, bontebok and blesbok.Īt the beginning of winter as the days get shorter and the nights longer, impalas start to rut. ![]() Skittish animals, they are always on the look out for potential threats and move in herds as a form of protection. Impalas are a common resident of the bushveld and live in abundance at Londolozi. This Yellow-billed oxpecker, rare to the area, seemed as curious as his host about the disruption to their evening routine! Photograph by: Talley Smithĭistinguishing features: The horns rise from heavy bosses and spread out and downwards, curving up and inwards with a sharp hook at the edge.Ĭlick here to watch an incredible YouTube video of a buffalo and lion fight.
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