Best Horns

The Asian wild water buffalo is one of the heaviest living wild bovid species. It is only slightly smaller than gaur. The males and the females carry horns that are heavy at the base and widely spread up to 2 m (79 in) along the outer edges, exceeding in size the horns of any other living bovid! Despite their impressive size, strength, and horns which Asian wild buffaloes use to protect themselves they still have natural predators. Tigers and ...
Mugger crocodiles prey on adult wild water buffaloes, and Asian black bears have also been known to kill them. Less

As the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family most adult male moose have distinctive broad, palmate ("open-hand shaped") antlers. Females select mates based on antler size. Males moose use dominant displays of antlers to discourage competition and will spar or fight rivals. The size and growth rate of antlers is determined by diet and age and reflect health. Did you know that moose with antlers have more acute hearing than those ...
without antlers? A study of trophy antlers using a microphone found that the palmate antler acts as a parabolic reflector, amplifying sound at the moose's ear. The antlers of mature Alaskan adult male moose (5 to 12 years old) have a normal maximum spread greater than 200 centimeters (79 in). The widest spread recorded was 210 centimeters (83 in) across. After the mating season males drop their antlers to conserve energy for the winter and a new set of antlers will then regrow in the spring. Birds, carnivores, and rodents frequently eat dropped antlers as they are full of protein and even moose themselves will eat antler velvet for the nutrients. Less

The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan and there it is also known as the screw horn or "screw-horned goat". These large goats have one of the most impressive horns. Both the males and the females of this species have tightly curled, corkscrew-like horns, which close together at the head but spread upwards toward the tips. The horns of males can grow up to 160 cm (63 in) long, and up to 25 cm (10 in) in females. Male markhor use their ...
impressive horns during the mating season; they fight each other by lunging, locking horns, and attempting to push each other off balance. Markhor is also a valued trophy hunting prize for its spiral horns and the Pakistani government even issued several tags in an attempt to save the species. Less

Greater kudus are antelopes that live in the woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. They are one of the largest species of antelope and have large horns with two and a half twists, which, were they to be straightened, would reach an average length of 120 cm (47 in); however, the maximum length can reach up to 187.64 cm (73.87 in). The horns begin to grow until the male kudu is between the ages of 6-12 months. The horns form the first spiral ...
rotation at around 2 years of age, and do not reach the full 2.5 rotations until they are 6 years old; occasionally they may even have 3 full turns. Greater kudus are not territorial and males are not always physically aggressive with each other; however, sparring can sometimes occur between males, especially when both are of similar size and stature. During sparring the males interlock their horns and shove one another until one male exhibits the lateral display. Less

The reindeer is the only deer species in which females also grow antlers normally. On average the male's antlers are the second largest of any extant deer, after those of the male moose. Their antlers can range up to 100 cm (39 in) in width and 135 cm (53 in) in beam length. Antlers begin to grow on male reindeer in March or April and on female reindeer in May or June. This process is called antlerogenesis. Antlers grow very quickly every year ...
on the bulls. As the antlers grow, they are covered in thick velvet, filled with blood vessels, and spongy in texture. When the antler growth is fully grown and hardened, the velvet is shed or rubbed off. Male reindeer use their antlers to compete with other males during the mating season. In late autumn or early winter after the rut, males lose their antlers, growing a new pair the next summer with a larger rack than the previous year. Females, however, keep their antlers until they calve. Less

The Giant eland is the largest species of antelope and both males and females have tightly spiraled, 'V'-shaped horns. They can be up to 123 cm (4.04 ft) long in males and 66 cm (2.17 ft) in females. Males have horns that are thicker at the ends, longer, and more divergent than those of females. Males typically use their horns during the mating season to wrestle and butt heads with rivals, while females use their horns to protect their young ...
from predators. Giant elands are alert and wary creatures, which makes them difficult to approach and observe or to hunt. They can move quickly, running at over 70 km/h (43 mph), and despite their size are exceptional jumpers, easily clearing heights of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). Their primary predators are the lion, Nile crocodile, and Spotted hyena. Due to their large size, they prove a good meal for the predators. However, they are not easily taken by any predator, especially the heavier and larger horned males which can be a dangerous adversary even for a lion pride. Less

The elk is one of the largest species within the deer family. It is the second largest extant species of deer, after the moose. Impressive antlers of elk are made of bone, which can grow at a rate of 2.5 centimeters (0.98 in) per day. Male elk typically have around six tines on each antler. While actively growing, a soft layer of highly vascularized skin known as velvet covers and protects them. This is shed in the summer when the antlers have ...
fully developed. Elk have played an important role in the cultural history of a number of people. For example, the elk was of particular importance to the Lakota (Native American people) and played a spiritual role in their society. The male elk was admired for its ability to attract mates, and Lakota men will play a courting flute imitating a bugling elk to attract women. Men also used elks' antlers as love charms and wore clothes decorated with elk images. Less

Scimitar oryxes are straight-horned antelope. Both male and female oryxes have horns, with the females' being more slender. Their horns are long, thin, and symmetrical, and curve backward; they can reach 1 to 1.2 m (3 ft 3 in - 3 ft 11 in) in both sexes. The hollow walls of the horns are so thin that they can easily break. Despite that the horns of oryxes can be lethal: these antelope have been known to kill lions with them, and they are thus ...
sometimes called sabre antelopes (not to be confused with the sable antelope). By the way, the myth of the one-horned unicorn may have originated from sightings of injured Scimitar oryxes; Aristotle and Pliny the Elder held that the oryx was the unicorn's "prototype". From certain angles, the oryx may seem to have one horn rather than two, and given that its horns are made from hollow bone that cannot be regrown, if a Scimitar oryx were to lose one of its horns, for the rest of its life it would have only one. Less

Alpine ibex use their horns during the breeding season when males fight for access to females and use their long horns in agonistic behavior. Both male and female Alpine ibex have large, backward-curving horns with numerous ridges along their length. Males are larger and carry longer horns than females which measure 69 to 98 cm (27 to 39 in). A linear dominance hierarchy exists among males of this species. Interestingly, in small populations, ...
which are more cohesive, males know their place in the hierarchy based on memories of past encounters, while in mobile and large groups, where encounters with strangers are common, rank is typically based on horn size. Less

These beautiful antelope are widely hunted for their spectacular horns that average 85 cm (33 in) in length. From a distance, the only outward difference between males and females is their horns, and many hunters mistake females for males. In males, horns tend to be thicker with larger bases while females have slightly longer, thinner horns. Female gemsbok use their horns to defend themselves and their offspring from predators, while males ...
primarily use their horns to defend their territories from other males. Gemsbok are one of the few antelope species where female trophies are sometimes more desirable than male ones. A gemsbok horn can be fashioned into a natural trumpet and, according to some authorities, can be used as a shofar. Less

The impala is a medium-sized but graceful antelope. Females of this species are hornless and smaller than males. Males grow slender, lyre-shaped horns 45-92 cm (18-36 in) long. The horns, strongly ridged and divergent, are circular in section and hollow at the base. Their arch-like structure allows interlocking of horns, which helps a male throw off his opponent during fights; horns also protect the skull from damage. During the mating season ...
males fight over dominance, often giving out noisy roars and chasing one another; they walk stiffly and display their necks and horns. The most prominent vocalization of impala is the loud roar, delivered through one to three loud snorts with the mouth closed; this is followed by two to ten deep grunts with the mouth open and the chin and tail raised. Such roar can be heard up to 2 km (1.2 mi) away - an amazing feature for such a tender creature. Less

This wild sheep is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domestic sheep breeds. Mouflon males are horned, some females are horned, while others are polled. The horns of mature males are curved in almost one full revolution and reach up to 85 cm (33.5 in) in length. Mouflon males have a strict dominance hierarchy. Before mating season or "rut", they try to create a dominance hierarchy to determine access to female mouflons for mating. Males ...
fight one another to obtain dominance and win an opportunity to mate with females. By the way, a mouflon was cloned successfully in early 2001, and lived at least seven months; this was the first clone of an endangered mammal to survive beyond infancy. Less

These North American sheep were named for their large, curved horns borne by the males. Females also have horns, but they are shorter with less curvature. A pair of horns weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb). Male Bighorn sheep have large horn cores, enlarged cornual and frontal sinuses, and internal bony septa. These adaptations serve to protect the brain by absorbing the impact of clashes. Males use their horns during the rut when they establish a ...
dominance hierarchy to determine access to ewes for mating and during agonistic behavior. Females exhibit a stable, nonlinear hierarchy that correlates with age and may fight for high social status when they are integrated into the hierarchy at one to two years of age. Unfortunately, these animals are hunted for their horns, which are then used in ceremonies and as hunting trophies. Less

Addaxes are antelope of the Sahara Desert. Their spiral horns, which are found on both males and females, have two to three twists and are typically 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) in females and 70 to 85 cm (28 to 33 in) in males. The lower and middle portions of the horns are marked with a series of 30 to 35 ring-shaped ridges. Due to their slow movements, addaxes are an easy target for predators. They are not aggressive by nature, though ...
individuals may use their long horns if they are disturbed. Addaxes are critically endangered species of antelope and are extremely rare in their native habitat due to unregulated hunting. They were once abundant in North Africa but are currently only native to Chad, Mauritania, and Niger. Less

The horns of bharals are found in both males and females. In males, they grow upwards, then turn sideways and curve backward, looking somewhat like an upside-down mustache. They may grow to a length of 80 cm (31 in). In females, the horns are much shorter and straighter, growing up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long. Bharal are major prey of the Snow leopard. Due to their excellent camouflage and the absence of cover in their environment, bharal escape ...
predation by remaining motionless when approached. However, if they have been noticed, they scamper up to the precipitous cliffs, where they disappear by freezing again and blending into the rock face. Less

Blackbucks live in grassy plains and lightly forested areas in India and Nepal. Males of this species have 35-75 cm (14-30 in) long, ringed horns, that resemble corkscrews; the horns diverge forming a "V"-like shape, and are generally present only on males, though females may develop horns, as well. Blackbuck males use their horns during the rut; they aggressively establish and defend their territories from other males, giving out loud grunts ...
and engaging in serious head-to-head fights, pushing each other using horns. Formerly blackbucks were widespread throughout their native range, but today only small, scattered herds remain and are largely confined to protected areas. During the 20th century, the number of these antelope species declined sharply due to excessive hunting, deforestation, and habitat degradation. Less