Lots of animals have horns and antlers. But giraffes are one of only two living species that have ossicones. While ossicones may look like a fuzzy horn, horns are made of keratin, like fingernails. Ossicones are special because they are made of cartilage that has turned into bone. As the giraffe grows, the ossicone eventually fuses to the skull. Another difference between ossicones and horns is that they are wrapped in a permanent covering of skin and hair. Ossicones are used by males when fighting, adding a concentrated area of force since they use their heads as clubs. The skin around the ossicones and the bone itself are vascularized (meaning there are blood vessels in those areas), which means it is also possible that the ossicones help with thermoregulation (body temperature regulation), and helps to cool giraffes down.

Ossicones are ossi-awesome!