Pronghorn: An Ocean Away from Antelope at Play
With keen eyesight, Pronghorn watch me as I take their picture.
On the way home from Church yesterday, we happened upon what I think is one of the most interesting animals in the US. It was a small herd of pronghorn (or sometimes inaccurately called “antelope”) grazing by the side of the road. We stopped and took a few photos. They even put on for us a short demonstration of their running ability. At the moment I switched my point-and-shoot camera from photo setting to video, they broke into a short run. Now I’m counting them as not only very interesting, but as also very cooperative.
Ten Quick Pronghorn Facts:
1) Second Fastest Land Animal: They can lope at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. At that rate, they easily outdistance current predators (wolves, bobcats, coyotes), except license-carrying man.
2) “Marathon runners”: They are able to maintain speeds of 35 mph for four mile stretches—that’s four miles in less than 7 minutes.
3) A quintessential symbol of the North American Plains: They are native only to the “high plains and sage flats of the American West.”
4) Horned not antlered: Both male and female of the species have horns. The male’s horns are much more developed and each separates into two—if you can image it—“prongs.”
5) Saved from extinction: Their population had dropped from an estimated 35 million to an early 20th century low point of 13,000. With a stable population of about 700,000, they are now included among the animals of “least concern” on the authoritative threatened species “Red List,” with a stable population of about 700,000.
6) Sole survivor: They are the only remaining member of the Antilocapridae family.
7) Shedding annually: Pronghorn sport horns (not antlers), but shed the horn sheaths annually.
8) Pronghorn don’t jump!: Unless under severe duress, they won’t even try a three-feet high fence, even if in some cases they’re starving and there’s food visible on the other side. They have been known, however, to run under fences at rapid speeds.
9) Tremendous eyesight: Some claim they can see movement three miles away.
10) No such thing as an antelope: There are no antelope in the Americas (contrary to the song) and never have been in the wild.
Sources (all retrieved on 4/22/2013):
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/1677/0
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronghorn
National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/antelope/
Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management: http://icwdm.org/handbook/mammals/PronghornAntelope.asp
National Wildlife Federation: http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/pronghorn.aspx
Great Plains Nature Center: http://www.gpnc.org/pronghor.htm
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