Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) - male
Bighorn sheep have true horns that continue to grow throughout the sheep's life whereas antlers are shed and regrown every year. Within each horn there is a living core that provides a continuous flow of blood beneath the hard keratin sheath. Both male (ram) and female (ewe) bighorn sheep have horns, however, rams' horns are bigger and curvier.
Interesting fact: When developing state-of-the-art head protection and helmets for athletes various instances are studying the injury and shock wave mitigation mechanisms by animals that experience frequent head impacts, such as bighorn sheep and woodpeckers! The composition of the horns is looked closely and modeled into different areas, including the honeycomb cells, of these head protection helmets for humans.
Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) - male
Bighorn sheep have true horns that continue to grow throughout the sheep's life whereas antlers are shed and regrown every year. Within each horn there is a living core that provides a continuous flow of blood beneath the hard keratin sheath. Both male (ram) and female (ewe) bighorn sheep have horns, however, rams' horns are bigger and curvier.
Interesting fact: When developing state-of-the-art head protection and helmets for athletes various instances are studying the injury and shock wave mitigation mechanisms by animals that experience frequent head impacts, such as bighorn sheep and woodpeckers! The composition of the horns is looked closely and modeled into different areas, including the honeycomb cells, of these head protection helmets for humans.