Antlers are branched, paired structures made entirely of bone and shed annually, while horns are unbranched, two-part structures with a bony core and a keratin sheath. Either way, this unique headgear is stunning and flatters some of the most beautiful creatures in the animal kingdom.

Nubian Goat

Few animals can match the horned splendor of the Nubian goat, a desert-dwelling goat found in the arid mountainous regions of northern and northeastern Africa as well as the Middle East.

Both male and female goats have horns, but the males wear them as a badge of honor. Solitary and shy, the species is vulnerable due to its dwindling numbers.

African addax

Also known as the white antelope, this antelope is known for its beautiful spiral horns found in both males and females. It is sexually dimorphic, with females being smaller than males.

The coat colour depends on the season – in winter the coat is greyish brown with white legs and hindquarters, and long, brown hair on the head, neck and shoulders; in summer the coat turns almost completely white or sandy-yellow. The addax is a critically endangered antelope found in North Africa, native to Chad, Mauritania and Niger.

Reindeer

Reindeer, is a species of deer found in the Arctic tundra, northern Europe, Siberia and North America. It is a species that varies greatly in color and size.

Both sexes grow antlers, although males are usually larger. A small number of females lack antlers completely, making them the only deer species in which both males and females grow antlers.

Red antelope

The most colourful of the wildebeest family, the red wildebeest also has one of the most attractive shapes in the animal kingdom, the intricately curved horns of both sexes giving it a beautifully balanced and attractive appearance. The red stag calls southern Africa home.

Elk

Elk are the largest of the deer species. Males are instantly recognizable by their massive antlers, which can span 6 feet from tip to tip.

Black goat

The sable antelope is a species of antelope native to India and Nepal. The males are distinctly two-toned, as if half of their inky black coat were dipped in milk. The males have long, ring-shaped horns, while females can also develop horns.

goat

The serow is a near-threatened large wild goat native to Central Asia, the Karakorum Mountains bordering China, India, Pakistan and the Himalayas. The distinctive spiral-shaped horns are a unique feature of the male serow.

Alpine goat

As its name suggests, the Alpine goat is found in the Alps of Europe. A wild species of goat, both male and female Alpine goats have large, backward-curving horns with numerous ridges running along their length. However, the males are significantly larger.

European fallow deer

Fallow deer are native to Asia Minor, but are now found throughout Europe. Fallow deer have broad, flat antlers, the largest of any Old World deer and the largest in relation to their body size.

Chital deer

The chital deer, also known as the spotted deer due to the numerous white spots marking its coat, is a species of deer native to the Indian subcontinent. The large lyre-shaped antlers are found only in males.

Sable Antelope

Both male and female antelopes possess impressive, ring-shaped horns that grow upright and curve backward. They inhabit the wooded savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from southern Kenya to South Africa. They are also found in pockets of Angola.

East African antelope

The thin, straight, rounded horns of the East African gazelle are found on both males and females. This antelope is found in East Africa and is listed as endangered by the IUCN.

Red Deer

The antlers of male red deer can grow to enormous sizes as they are among the largest of the 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.

Saiga antelope

Often described as the world’s strangest antelope, the saiga is instantly recognizable by its bulging, widely spaced, downward-pointing nostrils. Only males have thick, ring-shaped, slightly translucent, waxy horns. The saiga is found in the semi-desert grasslands of Central Asia and is critically endangered.

Giant antelope

Classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, the giant antelope is native to lands from Senegal to the Nile (its relative, the western giant antelope, is critically endangered). Both sexes have beautifully sculpted, tightly spiraled forms.

African buffalo

This large bovine is native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its horns are its defining feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bony shield on top of its head. It is considered one of the most dangerous animals on the African continent.