What's the Difference Between Horns and Antlers?

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Do you know the difference between horns and antlers?

Antlers:

Are on animals like deer, moose, and elk – this is the Cervidae family^1&2
Grow from the top, instead of the base²
Are shed every year, and grow the same way each year³
Are used to display dominance by males during breeding season³

Horns:

Are on animals like cows, goats, and sheep – this is the Bovinae family^1&3
Are found on both males and females¹
Grow from the base and are permanent¹
Are covered in keratin¹

Big antlers signal that a male is healthy because it takes a lot of energy to grow them. Males will shed their antlers after breeding season. After a couple of weeks, they’ll start to regrow them.³ Shed antlers are a great source of nutrition for other animals – they can get vital nutrients by eating them.²

Read more: How Do Carnivores and Herbivores Affect Their Environment?