This image was posted on another site I frequent and I do not believe anyone on it has yet correctly identified what animal this is. I'm reposting it here with the original poster's permission.

The horns are 18" tall and were found in an old antebellum house in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Any guesses? Or better yet, positive identifications?

Looks kind of like a markhor to me. Or maybe in the family.

Lesser Kudu

Guess....some type of goat. Domestic?

I don't know but you can buy them on Amazon for $67.29.

https://www.amazon.com/Classic...Trophy/dp/B004V0A61I

SCI classify these as the Amazonian Inner Circle Spiral Horns.

I would say Lesser kudu... but can't be only 18" long??

Quite similar to racka sheep horns. By what I can see in the photo the horns do not go with that skull. The bases are wrong.

Lesser kudu, but a replica, not the real thing.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Quite similar to racka sheep horns. By what I can see in the photo the horns do not go with that skull. The bases are wrong.

I know nothing, but it looks silly and as you described.

Poor Pix, Annular rings are the give away - Black Buck - W/o rings a Lesser Kudu. Black buck have many different configurations of curls.

Yes, those rings like a blackbuck but those spiral ridges like a kudu.

So far the thoughts posted have mostly mimicked my own. The horns have the general "look" of Markhor, but are far too small. Too small (and ridges are wrong) to be a Lesser Kudu. Blackbuck horns are far more circular than these.

Since it's part of an older collection, I wonder if it's an animal that is no longer hunted? Perhaps someone will come along and post a new idea.

Its definitely not a lesser Kudu.

The spiral horned antelope are what they are... and this ain't one of them. This does not look like anything I've seen, either in person, or in a natural history museum. They don't look like blackbuck to me, either. I would tend to think its a fake or something "created" given how its put together. I suppose its possible its a domestic animal with the horns heated and reformed.

That straight line ridge line looks unnatural, especially given the bases are not lined up right to give a proper orientation, they are way too symmetrical, along with the ringing that just don't go together in the photo. It had too many twists for African spiral horned animals, and while blackbuck have the ringed horns, they don't have ridges like that pic.

That amazon thing is a fake "artwork" item, maybe that's what these are. If you looked at it in person, a fake should be pretty obvious to anyone who has handled much real horn.

One of the Markhor? Probably a juvenile.

There are some freaky domestic goats around the world so could be one of those.

I believe Ann nailed it. Black Racka sheep or top horns off a 4-horn sheep.

Jeremy

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
I believe Ann nailed it. Black Racka sheep or top horns off a 4-horn sheep.

Jeremy

Agreed. From looking at a number of pictures of Racka Sheep this looks to be a match. It's possible the original picture had the horns significantly rotated on their bases to be more tall than wide.

Not buying the racka sheep... every pic I see of the racka horns they are twisting in the opposite direction as the posted pic. From the base, the horn curls to the middle, the pictured horns curl outward

I first thought it could be one of the cross overs with the Afghan / Sualiman Markhor.

BUT - the ribs / rings are not right. Secondly there is no wear and tear / brooming.

Definitely NOT Black Buck. I've seen them since I was 4 years old.

My guess is that it could be some captive animal.

I doubt it is from a wild animal.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
One of the Markhor? Probably a juvenile.

There are some freaky domestic goats around the world so could be one of those.