Horns and Antlers

Although antlers may seem like a good weapon, a deer typically uses its antlers more for interacting with other deer than for fighting off predators.

Many kinds of hoofed animals grow horns or antlers on their heads. Horns are bones that grow out of the skulls of sheep, goats, cattle, and antelope, such as gazelles. These bones are covered by a layer of tough material called horn. Horned animals do not shed their horns. Antlers also are made of bone, but they fall off and grow again each year. Unlike horns, antlers divide into branches.

At first glance, a deer’s antlers look like weapons for selfdefense, but they are used more for interacting with other deer. Their use as weapons against predators is not their main purpose.

Male deer of most species grow antlers, while females do not. The males use their antlers in battles with other males over females. in these battles, the males shove their antlered heads against each other and jab at each other’s sides. Female reindeer and caribou do grow antlers, but they shed them later in the year than males do. The females use antlers to keep other herd members out of the feeding holes they have scraped in the snow.

Horns grow on both males and females in many species of goat, sheep, cattle, and antelope. Males use their horns to battle with other males over females. They also use horns as weapons for self-defense. Females use their horns to defend themselves and their young against predators. Females of large species of antelope are more likely to have horns than females of smaller species. These smaller species tend to hide and use camouflage for protection.

Both male and female rhinoceroses have horns on their faces. Asian rhinos have one horn. African rhinos have two. These horns are not made of bone. They are made of keratin—the same material found in fingernails, toenails and hair.

Male rhinos use their horns in battles with one another. Both males and females will also charge at intruders. Predators, such as lions, are not willing to tackle a grown rhino, but they do try to catch calves. The white rhino, an African species, can protect a calf simply by standing still with the baby hiding under her huge, two-horned head.