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The reindeer, also known as the caribou in North America, is a species of deer found in the Arctic tundra, northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. These animals are the only deer species in which both males and females grow antlers.
The antlers of the male red deer, or stag, can develop into an immense size given that this is one of the largest deer species. Red deer are native to most of Europe, Iran, and parts of western Asia, as well as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and Tunisia.
Moose are the largest of all the deer species. Males are immediately recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 1.82 m (6 ft) from end to end. In Eurasia the species is known as elk.
The pronghorn is native to North America, and is the fastest hoofed animal on that continent. It is the only animal that has branching horns and sheds them annually. The male's horns are lyre-shaped and curve in towards each other, whereas those of the female are usually straight, short spikes.
A deer indigenous to western North America and among the most beloved and iconic wildlife of the American West, this species derives its name from its large ears. Antlers are only present on bucks.
Native to the Sahara Desert and a critically endangered species of antelope, the addax is recognized for its beautiful spiral horns found both on males and females.
A markhor is a near-threatened large wild goat species native to Central Asia, the Karakorum mountain range bordering China, India, and Pakistan, and the Himalayas. The distinctive corkscrew horns are a unique feature of male markhors.
The spiral horns of the male greater kudu, a species of antelope native to eastern and southern Africa, are spectacular and can grow as long as 1.8 m (6 ft), making two and a half graceful twists. Lesser kudus have smaller but no less remarkable horns.
As its name suggests, the Alpine ibex is found in the mountains of the European Alps. A species of wild goat, both male and female Alpine ibex have large, backwards-curving horns with numerous ridges along their length. Those of the males, however, are substantially larger.
The fallow deer originated from Asia Minor, but today is found all over Europe. Fallow bucks carry broad flat antlers that are the largest among Old World deer and are the largest relative to their body size.
The chital, also known as the spotted deer on account of the numerous white spots marking its coat, is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. The large, lyre-shaped antlers are only present on males.
Slender, graceful, and strikingly marked, springbok are a species of antelope found mainly in southern and southwestern Africa. Both sexes have black horns that are straight at the base and then curve backward, though the horns of the females are thinner.
Everything in Texas is big, including the colossal horns of this breed of cattle, which can extend to over 2.5 m (8 ft), tip to tip, for cows and bulls.
Both the male and female sable antelope possess impressive ringed horns that rise vertically and curve backward. The species inhabits wooded savanna in east and southern Africa, from the south of Kenya to South Africa. It's also found in pockets of Angola.
Classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Arabian oryx is native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Both sexes have long, straight, or slightly curved, ringed black horns that lend both a distinguished, noble character.
The thin, straight, and ringed horns of the East African oryx are found on both males and females. This species of antelope is found in East Africa and is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
The most colorful of the hartebeest family, the red hartebeest also has one of the most appealing profiles in the animal kingdom, the complex curving horns of both sexes providing a beautifully balanced and appealing outline. The red hartebeest calls southern Africa home.
The Highland is a tough, hardy Scottish breed of rustic cattle distinguished by a shaggy coat and long horns that taper to a sharp point—armory wielded by both sexes.
Often described as the world's weirdest antelope, the saiga is instantly recognized for the pair of closely spaced, bloated nostrils directed downward. Only the males have horns, which are thick, ringed, slightly translucent, and wax-colored. The saiga is found in the semi-desert grasslands of Central Asia and is critically endangered.
Few animal species can match the horny splendor of the Nubian ibex, a desert-dwelling goat species found in arid mountainous areas of northern and northeast Africa, and the Middle East. Both sexes have horns, but the males wear theirs like a badge of honor. Solitary and shy, the species is vulnerable as a result of declining numbers.
Native to the Himalayas, the bharal, also known as the blue sheep, has a set of horns that resemble an upside-down mustache, a characteristic shared by both sexes.
Originating from the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia but today found across much of the continent, the sturdy fleet-footed European mouflon has a unique claim to fame. While all rams sprout magnificent horns, females native to Sardinia have none. However on Corsica, females do possess a set of horns that are small and slightly curved toward the rear.
The blackbuck is an antelope native to India and Nepal. Males radiate a distinctly two-tone appearance, as if half of its inky black coat has been dipped in milk. Males have long, ringed horns, though females may develop horns as well.
Sadly, no scimitar-horned oryxes have been seen in their natural habitat since 1983, prompting the IUCN to declare the species extinct in the wild. Therefore the only way to admire this majestic beast is within a zoo enclosure or protected park such as the Haute Touche Zoological Park in France, where this photograph was taken. Both male and female oryxes have horns, with the females' being more slender.
White-tailed deer bucks can have eight-point branching antlers, resembling an inverted chandelier. Those without branches are often termed "spikehorn," or "spike bucks." About one in 10,000 females also has antlers. White-tailed deer are common throughout the Americas, and some countries in Europe.
As with all elk, this resident of the Rockies—a majestic subspecies—is known for the six tines (branches) on each antler that distinguish bulls.
A surefooted beast that inhabits most of North America's spectacular alpine environments, the mountain goat, also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, has a beard, short tail, and long black horns—characteristics shared by both sexes.
This large, moody bovine is native to sub-Sahara Africa. Its horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head referred to as a "boss". It is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous animals on the African continent.
Sources: (BBC Wildlife) (World Wildlife Fund) (IUCN Red List) (Fauna & Flora International) (Zoodelahautetouche) (Mossy Oak)
Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the giant eland is native to pockets of land from Senegal to the Nile River (its cousin, the western giant eland, is critically endangered.) Both sexes have wonderfully sculptured, tightly spiraled, 'V'-shaped horns.
Horns and antlers are extensions of an animal's skull and are generally found only on males, though there are quite a few exceptions. Although horns and antlers look similar in appearance, there are significant differences between animals with antlers and animals with horns. Primarily, antlers are paired, branched structures that are made entirely from bone and are shed annually, whereas horns are unbranched, two-part structures with a bony core and covered by a keratin sheath. Either way, this unique headgear is magnificent in appearance and crowns some of the most beautiful creatures in the animal kingdom.
So, who wears it best? Click through and find out who tops the lot.
The most impressive horns and antlers in the animal kingdom
Extraordinary horns and antlers created by nature
LIFESTYLE Nature
Horns and antlers are extensions of an animal's skull and are generally found only on males, though there are quite a few exceptions. Although horns and antlers look similar in appearance, there are significant differences between animals with antlers and animals with horns. Primarily, antlers are paired, branched structures that are made entirely from bone and are shed annually, whereas horns are unbranched, two-part structures with a bony core and covered by a keratin sheath. Either way, this unique headgear is magnificent in appearance and crowns some of the most beautiful creatures in the animal kingdom.
So, who wears it best? Click through and find out who tops the lot.