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Horns usually have a curved or spiral shape, often with ridges or fluting. In many species, only males have horns. 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). Partial or deformed horns in livestock are called scurs.
True horns are found mainly among: Ruminant artiodactyls. Antilocapridae ; Bovidae (cattle, goats, antelopes etc.). Giraffidae: Giraffids have a pair of skin covered bony bumps on their heads, called ossicones. Cervidae: Most deer have antlers, which are not true horns due to lacking a bone core and made of keratin.
Males also usually have a single median ossicone on the frontal bone that is larger in northern animals and smaller in southern giraffes. [3] Giraffes can also have small additional paired occipital ossicones on the occipital bones, paired orbital ossicones associated with eyes, and azygous ossicones.
Rhinoceros horns across all species have gradually shrunk over the past century and hunting may be the likely cause, scientists believe. The findings, published in the journal People And Nature ...
The horns can be lethal: oryxes have been known to kill lions with them, and they are thus sometimes called sabre antelopes (not to be confused with the sable antelope). The horns also make the animals a prized game trophy, which has led to the near-extinction of the two northern species.
Horned animals may require specialized equipment, such as feeders and angulate crushes. In some breeds and in some individuals, horns may grow towards the head, eventually causing injury. Horns may become broken, causing blood loss and potential for infection. Horned animals may become trapped in fences or vegetation, causing self-injury.
For nearly 200 years, train whistles have been a tool to warn folks to stay off the tracks. Why do train horns use this pattern? History’s unclear, but at least know to clear the tracks
The most desirable antlers have been found soon after being shed. The value is reduced if they have been damaged by weathering or being gnawed by small animals. A matched pair from the same animal is a very desirable find but often antlers are shed separately and may be separated by several miles.