Giraffe - The Facts

Do all giraffe have horns?

Both sexes of giraffe have horns, although the horns of the female are normally smaller and thinner.



The prominent horns are formed from ossified cartilage and are called 'ossicones'. These solid bone horns are covered in skin.

There is a main pair of horns in both sexes but females' are thin and tufted; males' thick and bald on top as a result of frequent sparring.

Males can grow a second pair of horns behind the first pair. A male's head gains weight with age in the process that creates the extra horns and bumps through bone deposition enabling a bull to deliver ever heavier blows during contests. Brutal combat is rare but does occur, as the majority of bulls in a population establish their place in a rank hierarchy through ongoing contests while maturing in bachelor herds.