List of animals with horns or tusks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of animals that have hard permanent pointed projections on their head.
Horns
Horns are keratinous projections that grow out from the top of the head.[1] Mammals with horns include:
- Ruminant artiodactyls
- Antilocapridae (pronghorns)
- Bovidae (cattle, goats, antelopes etc.). Bovid horns are often called "true horns," characterized by a bony core surrounded by a keratin sheath.
- Giraffidae: Giraffids have a pair of skin-covered bony protrusions on their heads called ossicones.
- Cervidae: Most deer have antlers, which are not true horns due to their lack of a keratin sheath.
- Rhinocerotidae: The "horns" of rhinos are made of keratin and lack a bone core.
- Arsinoitheriidae (extinct)
Some other animals have features that resemble horns but differ structurally from mammalian horns. These including some chameleons, vipers, owls, frogs, boxfishes, and rhinoceros beetles.
Tusks
Tusks are pointed elongated teeth that protrude from the mouth and sometimes resemble horns. They continuously grow throughout the animal's life. Examples include:[1]
- Proboscidea (elephants)
- Walruses
- Warthogs
- Narwhals
- Water deer