Africa is known for its diverse wildlife, and some of the most striking are the animals with horns.
These horns are more than just decorations; they tell a story of survival, defense, and nature’s artistry. From the long, curved horns of antelopes to the sturdy ones of buffalo, each has its own purpose and beauty. In this article, we’ll introduce you to various African animals that proudly carry horns. It can sometimes be tricky to tell them apart from each other-but if you’ve ever wondered what’s the difference between a gazelle and an antelope, or if the okapi is related to zebras, we have the answers for you.
It's important to note that while antelopes are often misidentified as deer, the groups are only distantly related. Unlike deer, in which males of most species sport antlers that are shed and regrown annually, antelope horns are bone and grow steadily, never falling off. Antelopes do not form a monophyletic group, as some antelopes are more closely related to other bovid groups, such as bovines, goats, and sheep, than to other antelopes.
Many species of antelope have been imported to other parts of the world, especially the United States, for exotic game hunting. With some species possessing spectacular leaping and evasive skills, individuals may escape. Texas in particular has many game ranches, as well as habitats and climates that are very hospitable to African and Asian plains antelope species.
Sadly, much of Africa’s biodiversity is threatened by issues like poaching, drought, and habitat loss. As a conservation and rescue organisation, IFAW is working in Africa and around the world to mitigate these threats and protect wildlife.
Read also: Deer-Resistant Landscaping
Antelopes: Masters of the Savannah
Antelopes are a common symbol in heraldry, though they occur in a highly distorted form from nature. The heraldic antelope has the body of a stag and the tail of a lion, with serrated horns, and a small tusk at the end of its snout. This bizarre and inaccurate form was invented by European heralds in the Middle Ages, who knew little of foreign animals and made up the rest.
Most live in the African savannahs. Species living in forests, woodland, or bush tend to be sedentary, but many of the plains species undertake long migrations. These enable grass-eating species to follow the rains and thereby their food supply.
Antelope vary greatly in size. Not surprisingly for animals with long, slender yet powerful legs, many antelope have long strides and can run fast. Some (e.g. klipspringer) are also adapted to inhabiting rock koppies and crags. Both dibatags and gerenuks habitually stand on their two hind legs to reach acacia and other tree foliage.
Antelope have a wide variety of coverings, though most have a dense coat of short fur. In most species, the coat (pelage) is some variation of a brown colour (or several shades of brown), often with white or pale underbodies. Exceptions include the zebra-marked zebra duiker, the grey, black, and white Jentink's duiker, and the black lechwe. Most of the "spiral-horned" antelope have pale, vertical stripes on their backs.
Many antelope are sexually dimorphic. In most species, both sexes have horns, but those of males tend to be larger. Males tend to be larger than the females, but exceptions in which the females tend to be heavier than the males include the bush duiker, dwarf antelope, Cape grysbok, and oribi, all rather small species. A number of species have hornless females (e.g., sitatunga, red lechwe, and suni). In some species, the males and females have differently coloured pelages (e.g. blackbuck and nyala).
Read also: Deer and Antelope Species in Africa
Many wild antelopes are characterized by high running and jumping abilities. Their main defence against predators is to try to escape. Antelope are ruminants, so they have well-developed molar teeth, which grind cud (food balls stored in the stomach) into a pulp for further digestion.
Like many other herbivores, antelope rely on keen senses to avoid predators. Their eyes are placed on the sides of their heads, giving them a broad radius of vision with minimal binocular vision. Their horizontally elongated pupils also help in this respect. Acute senses of smell and hearing give antelope the ability to perceive danger at night out in the open (when predators are often on the prowl).
The size and shape of antelope horns varies greatly. Those of the duikers and dwarf antelope tend to be simple "spikes", but differ in the angle to the head from backward curved and backward pointing (e.g. yellow-backed duiker) to straight and upright (e.g. steenbok). Other groups have twisted (e.g. common eland), spiral (e.g. greater kudu), "recurved" (e.g. the reedbucks), lyrate (e.g. impala), or long, curved (e.g. the oryxes) horns.
Small antelope, such as dik-diks, tend to be monogamous. They live in a forest environment with patchy resources, and a male is unable to monopolize more than one female due to this sparse distribution. Large antelope that gather in large herds, such as wildebeest, rely on numbers and running speed for protection.
If escape is not an option, antelope are capable of fighting back.
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It is difficult to determine how long antelope live in the wild. With the preference of predators towards old and infirm individuals, which can no longer sustain peak speeds, few wild prey-animals live as long as their biological potential.
Domestication of animals requires certain traits in the animal that antelope do not typically display. Most species are difficult to contain in any density, due to the territoriality of the males, or in the case of oryxes (which have a relatively hierarchical social structure), an aggressive disposition; they can easily kill a human.
A wide variety of antelope hybrids have been recorded in zoos, game parks, and wildlife ranches, due to either a lack of more appropriate mates in enclosures shared with other species or a misidentification of species. The ease of hybridization shows how closely related some antelope species are. Most hybrids occur between species within the same genus. All reported examples occur within the same subfamily.
1. Gemsbok
First on our list of African animals with horns is the gemsbok, which holds the title of being the largest species within the Oryx genus. Gemsbok have incredibly robust physiques and long tails resembling a horse. Their coat predominantly showcases a light brown to gray color, with darker accents on the face and belly. Standing at an average height of about 4 feet at the shoulder, the gemsbok is primarily spotted in the arid and semi-arid bushlands of southwestern Africa. Being herbivores, gemsbok feed on grasses, thorny shrubs, roots, and tubers. One of the most sought-after features of the gemsbok is their magnificent horns, which average around 33 inches in length. From afar, it’s challenging to distinguish between males and females based solely on their horns, leading to a common scenario where hunters mistakenly identify females as males each year.
The South African oryx-also known as the gemsbok-as least concern.
Gemsbok
2. Greater Kudu
The greater kudu is one of the tallest antelopes in the world. The greater and lesser kudu are adorned with unique stripes and spots on their bodies, and usually, a white chevron of hair can be found between their eyes. Males are tall, with a height ranging between 51 to 59 inches, yet they have a narrow build. These African animals with horns find their home in mixed scrub woodlands. Their presence is mainly noted in the southern and eastern parts of Africa, with a thicker population concentration in the south. Greater kudu enjoy a diet of leaves, flowers, fruits, tubers, and shoots. Male kudus are renowned for their majestic horns, the largest among antelope species, spiraling up to an astonishing 6 feet. Each horn showcases about 2.5 elegant twists. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, kudu horns have cultural importance too.
Greater Kudu
3. Impala
Another antelope species, the impala, is another African animal with horns. The impala is one of Africa’s most common and graceful antelopes. Sporting a glossy coat, the impala displays a distinct two-tone coloration - a reddish-brown back complemented by tan flanks - sharply contrasted against a white underbelly. Their facial features include white rings encircling the eyes, along with a lighter-hued chin and snout. With a height ranging from 28 to 36 inches, impalas are medium-sized antelopes. They roam the light woodlands and savannas of southern and eastern Africa. In the rainy season, when food is readily available, they often assemble in large herds numbering several hundred, grazing on herbs, grasses, bushes, shoots, and shrubs. These elegant creatures are recognized for their long, spiraled horns, a characteristic of males who utilize them in duels to test each other’s strength. Thanks to these horns that can stretch up to three feet in length, impalas have an effective means of defending themselves.
Impala
4. Springbok
Another African animal with horns is the springbok, also known as springbuck. This medium-sized antelope sports a white face with dark stripes extending from its mouth to the eyes, alongside a reddish-brown coat that transitions to white as it reaches the lower third of its body, ending with a white rear. Their habitat is in the south and southwestern parts of Africa, including regions within Namibia, Angola, Botswana, and South Africa. Springboks like to eat succulent grasses. Their dietary preferences also include shrubs and young succulents. Both genders are equipped with a pair of black horns, spanning 14 to 20 inches long, arching backward gracefully. Male springboks often use their horns in contests of strength and for control over mating territories.
Springboks are slim and long-legged, with light brown coats, white undersides, and white faces with black stripes running from their eyes to their mouth. Male and female springboks both have long, dark horns, which point backwards and curve toward each other at the tips, almost looking like they form a heart shape. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorises springboks as least concern.
Springbok
5. Giraffe
The giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world. Each of the four giraffe species and their subspecies occupies distinct African geographic regions. Despite having a short body, giraffes possess exceptionally long legs and necks. Their coats are adorned with a light brown hue embellished with reddish-brown spots. Many of them sport two short horns situated between their ears. They find their home in both semi-arid savannahs and savannah woodlands across Africa. With a diet primarily consisting of twigs and leaves from mimosa, acacia, and wild apricot trees, a giraffe usually consumes around 66 pounds of food daily. However, they can get by on as little as 33 pounds. The horns of a giraffe, referred to as ossicones, are essentially cartilage that has turned into bone or ossified and is enveloped in skin. Both female and male giraffes have ossicones.
Giraffe
6. Common Eland
The common eland is a member of the antelope family. Their coat exhibits a geographical variance; in the northern part of their domain, elands bear distinct markings like torso stripes, leg markings, and a spinal crest, which are absent in the south. Besides a rough mane, their coat has a smooth texture. The females have a tan coat, while males flaunt a darker coat with a bluish-gray color. The common eland is one of the largest antelopes in Africa. An adult male measures around 5.2 feet at the shoulder, with females being slightly shorter. These elands roam the vast plains of Southern Africa. Both genders are adorned with straight, twisted horns, though females have thinner, longer, and less spiraled ones compared to males. The horns of male elands can stretch between 1.4 to 2.2 feet, while those of female elands can extend from 1.7 to 2.3 feet. Male elands have a habit of rubbing their horns against various surfaces and the ground, demonstrating their strength and ferocity.
Elands (genus Taurotragus) are the largest antelopes in the world. There are two species, the smaller common eland (Taurotragus oryx) and the larger giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus). Both males and females have horns that are straight and point backwards with spiral ridges. Female common elands have larger horns than males, but males’ horns are thicker. Male elands have prominent dewlaps-loose flaps of skin that hang down from their necks. The common eland, found across southern, Central, and East Africa, is classed by the IUCN as least concern. The giant eland is classed as vulnerable and is found in small pockets of Central and West Africa.
Common Eland
7. Blue Wildebeest
The blue wildebeest is a popular big game species in East Africa. In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most common big-game species. Its dark silver-gray body is adorned with dark vertical stripes on the front quarters. A distinguishing feature of the blue wildebeest is its long black mane, accompanied by a beard of hair dangling from its throat and neck. Both male and female wildebeests possess short curved horns. Their preferred habitats are the short-grass plains adjacent to bush-clad acacia savannas in the southern and eastern regions of Africa. These animals flourish in environments that strike a balance between being overly wet and dry. Being herbivores, blue wildebeests primarily graze on the short grasses, which are common on light and alkaline soils. Their horns extend sideways and have a slight inward curve at the tips. Unlike some other horned species, their horns lack ridges. While female horns can grow up to 1.3 feet, male horns can reach a length of 2.7 feet.
Both male and female wildbeeests have horns. Wildebeests have high, sloping shoulders with a hump, short necks, manes, and beards. There are two wildebeest species, the common wildbeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and the black wildbeest (Connochaetes gnou). The common wildebeest’s horns point out to the sides and curve upwards, towards each other. The black wildebeest’s horns point more towards the front and also curve upwards. Both species are found in southern Africa, and the common wildebeest is also found in parts of East Africa. The IUCN categorises both species as least concern.
Blue Wildebeest
8. Saharan Horned Viper
It might come as a surprise to find a snake on the list of horned African animals, but it’s a fact! Male Saharan horned vipers have larger heads and eyes than females, with their coloration blending well with the environment. The back of the snake displays dark, semi-rectangular markings which may or may not resemble crossbars. Sporting a white belly, the snake’s tail is usually thin and might have a black tip. Spread across the Sahara in Northern Africa, this unique snake dwells in diverse desert environments, including rocky hills and sandy expanses. Saharan horned vipers are carnivorous creatures. Their typical meals primarily include lizards, though they won’t shy away from small rodents and birds. One of the standout features of the Saharan horned viper is the pair of supraorbital “horns,” one situated above each eye. These horns can vary in size or may even be absent.
Above their eyes, they have ‘horns’ made of large, pointed scales above their eyes. However, some Saharan horned vipers are born without this feature. The IUCN classes Saharan horned vipers as least concern, and though they have no major threats to their survival, they are sometimes captured for local exhibition or to extract their venom.
Saharan Horned Viper
9. Nubian Ibex
The Nubian ibex, one of Africa’s smaller ibex species, sports a light tan shade contrasted by a white belly. Males have a dark brown stripe running down their backs. These creatures exhibit long, slender horns that curve upward, then backward and downward. Standing at a height of around 25 to 30 inches at the shoulder, males tend to be larger than females. These ibexes thrive on rocky desert mountains characterized by steep slopes and extend to nearby hills, plateaus, canyons, and wadis. Their dietary preference leans towards grasses and leaves, with a special liking for Acacia tree leaves. Male Nubian ibexes have large, dark, semi-circular horns adorned with annual rings. The growth of their horns is notable, extending 4.5 to 8 inches during the first five years, and following that, there is an annual growth of 0.7 to 1.5 inches.
Nubian Ibex
10. Hartebeest
The hartebeest, also referred to as kongoni or kaama, is a notable African antelope. Exhibiting a large frame, this antelope is recognized for its fawn color. It bears unique features, including a sharply sloped back, extended legs, and a long snout, which, despite giving an awkward appearance, contribute to its elegance, matching or even surpassing other antelopes. These antelopes dwell in dry savannas, open plains, and wooded grasslands, often migrating to drier regions post-rainfall. They can also climb as high as 13,000 feet on Mount Kenya. Their diet is mainly comprised of grass, showing a remarkable tolerance towards low-quality food and showcasing a non-selective feeding behavior. Both male and female hartebeests have horns, although females have more slender ones. These horns can extend between 18 to 28 inches in length. The primary function of their horns is to deter predators.
