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Horns or antlers? What's the difference? These are popular questions our docents (zoo volunteers) are frequently asked by zoo visitors. Here's the scoop. There are indeed some differences.
Antlers
What are antlers?
When we think of antlers what comes to mind are bony structures protruding from the heads of various species of animal. But what exactly makes them antlers, not horns? Well, here are the facts: antlers are shed every year and in most cases only males have antlers. Antlers are made from a bone-like material, not from keratin (the stuff our fingernails are made of.) You may have seen pictures of deer or similar animals with antlers covered in a soft, fuzzy material. This substance is called 'velvet' and is important in the growth of antlers. As they grow in each year, the velvet covering provides blood and nutrients to the growing antler. Once the antlers have fully grown in, the velvet peels off leaving only the bony antler behind.
Horns
What are horns
Horns are similar to antlers in that they are hard structures that protrude from an animals head, but the similarities largely end there. Horns are permanent. They consist of a bone core that is attached to the animals skull. The core is covered by a keratin sheath. Both male and female animals can have horns. True horns are unbranched. Hmmmm....so what are the differences??
Well, to sum up the basic differences: Horns are permanent, usually contain a bony core and keratin (the fingernail stuff.) Horns can adorn both male and female animals and are unbranched. Some animals with horns include cattle, bison and goats. Antlers are made of a bony substance, not keratin. They are shed and regrown every year. Generally, only males have antlers. Some animals with antlers include deer and moose. OK, think you've got it? Let's complicate things!
Weird exceptions- The pronghorn
The pronghorn antelope, North America's fastest land mammal, complicates the antler/horn issue. We typically refer to their bony headgear as 'horns,' but are they really? hmmm Here are the facts: the pronghorn 'horn' consists of a keratin sheath and a bony core. Sounds like a horn so far, but here's the kicker- their 'horns' are shed annually. Now they're sounding a little like antlers. Also, male pronghorn 'horns' are somewhat branched. Remember that true horns are unbranched. So what exactly do we call their headgear? Maybe we should create a new word- how does hornler, or maybe anthorn sound..?
Rudolph and friends
Reindeer
So, if antlers are only had by males, does Santa have 8 male reindeer pulling his sled? Not necessarily. Reindeer are an exception in this sense because both males and females grow antlers. In fact, usually by December most males will have shed their antlers for the season, while most females will still have theirs. Mystery solved- Santa must have female reindeer. Reindeer aren't the only exception in this regard. Caribou are similar. Just like reindeer, both males and females have antlers- although in reality caribou and reindeer may in fact be the same species..that's a story for a different lens though. One last weird one...
The case of the rhino horn.
Everyone knows that rhinos have horns, right? Well, do they? You may think so, until you take a look at a rhino skull and realize that something is missing. The horn! You won't see any trace of a horn on a rhino skull. The reason is that although the rhino horn is made of keratin, as are other horns, rhino horns lack the bony structure inside. They are made entirely of just keratin. Remember that keratin is the same substance that our hair and nails are made of.
Animal News
Here's animal-related news from Discovery.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWildlife news
Here's some wildlife news from google:
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAnimal and zoo related links
Here are some of my favorite zoo/animal links:
- Antler Horn Game
- Does a jackalope have antlers or horns? Ok, so there may be no such thing as a jackalope, but have some fun with horns, antlers and rabbits at this site from Yellowstone.
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association
- AZA has information on all accredited zoological parks. It also has great information on the positive things accredited zoos are doing to conserve wildlife.
- Animal Diversity Web
- A great resource for learning about animals from the University of Michigan.
- Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents
- Learn all about docents. Virtually every zoo or aquarium has them. Find out more about the great work they do- maybe even look into becoming one!
- Bergen County Home Page
- Official site of Bergen County, New Jersey NJ. Information on our zoo is available on this site.
- Bergen County Zoo Docents
- Here at the Bergen County Zoo we have over 65 docents or volunteers. 'Docent' is a word meaning 'to teach' and that is exactly what our docents do.
- Bergen County Zoo docents blog
- Our blog. Docents- check here for daily updates/discussions about the zoo. Comment if you wish.
- An egg is not just an egg
- Eggs come in many different forms among animals. Learn what the differences are between reptile eggs, bird eggs, amphibian eggs, and fish eggs.
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by JaimeH
Jaime is the naturalist/volunteer coordinator at the Bergen County Zoological Park in New Jersey.
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