What is the only mammal born with “horns”?

A giraffe might not be the first animal that comes to mind when you think of horned animals, but they definitely have them. Like most other animals with horns, giraffes have them because they serve as a defense mechanism.

Unlike other species, both male and female giraffes have horns (called "ossicones") at birth. Luckily for mama giraffe, the horns lie flat and aren't attached to the skull at birth, saving both mom and baby from injury. As the giraffe grows, the horns eventually fuse with the skull.

Both female and male giraffes are born with a main pair of ossicones. While female ossicones are often thin and tufted, males normally have thicker ossicones that become bald on top as a result of frequent ‘necking’ (a behavior males engage in, in order to determine dominance, and in turn, mating rights.) In some species males grow a second pair of ossicones behind the first pair, as well as a prominent ossicone in front of the main pair; thus ending up with as many as five horns.

Giraffe horns can become formidable weapons in adult males, especially when worn bare of skin at the tips; older males (known as “bulls”) may have patches of bare bone elsewhere on their massive, craggy heads as well.