Antlers vs. Horns
Posted by Angela on July 9, 2003
Q: I would like to know if some species of deer have horn. What methods can be used to distinguish/identify antler and horn and what types of horns ?
Many thanks
A: No species of deer has horns. Probably the easiest way to tell horn from antler is to look closely at the structure - horns are hollow and made of keratin (like fingernails) and antlers are solid and made of bone. Granted, one usually doesn't get close enough to really see the difference but if you're looking at a member of the deer family (deer,elk,caribou, or Moose), you're seeing antlers. Horns are found on Bison, African and Asian antelope, sheep, goats, and cattle and are never branched although they do come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.
John Wiessinger ( July 10, 2003)