Pronghorn

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The pronghorn's name comes from the unusual shape of its horns. It can out sprint a horse and is the faster land mammal in the western hemisphere. The pronghorn roams in herds across the open grasslands of North America. When it senses a predator nearby, the pronghorn raises the fur on its rump and emits a strong scent to warn the herd.  The animals immediately spirit away at full speed.

Characteristics:  the pronghorn inhabits open grasslands and desert from the Canadian borer to northern Mexico. Although the animal is not migratory, it covers an area up to 10 miles wide as it searches for food and water. It is most active just before sunset and after sunrise.  the pronghorn is constantly alert for signs of danger and can spot a moving object several miles away. But it may not be able to see a motionless predator. just a few feet away. When it is alarmed, the pronghorn uses its rapid sprinting ability to escape. It can maintain a speed of about 30 miles over even ground.  Both sexes have horns which grow and are shed yearly. Sometimes the female does not have any horns. Only the male's horns have forward pointing prongs.

Breeding: Breeding season begins in the spring. Pronghorn herds split into groups, according to age and sex. At three years, young males begin establishing their own breeding territories, which can cover an area of almost two square miles. Older males often occupy the same territories year after year. The males mark their territories with urine and feces and with a scent produced from glands below the ears.  A make with an established territory tries to herd females into his area and keep them there. He promptly drives off rival males.

Competing males first confront each other with a steady stare. If neither male looks away, the territory holder bellows loudly and may charge the intruder. Most conflicts end with the weaker male backing off. But when two evenly matched males meet, the result is often a violent battle. throughout the breeding season, small herds of females wander through the territories of the dominant males. Despite the males attempts to keep them, the females seldom remain in one male's territory very long.  Once they have mated, females give birth a little over eight months later, usually to twins.  The young fawn develop very quickly, and at three weeks old they start feeding on grass and shrubs.

Pronghorn & Man: When European settlers first arrived, there were about 35 million pronghorns in North America. Many thousands were shot for food or sport. As farming changed the prairies, habitat loss led to a further decline in numbers.  By the mid 1920's, fewer than 20,000 pronghorns were left, so conservationists began working to protect the remaining herds. As a result, numbers have risen to 450,000 and a limited amount of hunting is now permitted. No more than 40,000 animals may be killed in a year.

Food and Feeding: Throughout most of the year the pronghorn feeds in herds. During winter a herd may have as many as 1,000 animals. The pronghorn roams desert scrub and flat grasslands to feed on a wide selection of shrubbery plants, grasses, and even prickly cacti. To compensate for the wear resulting from the constant chewing of tough plants, the pronghorns teeth grow continuously throughout its life. Gasses and other fleshy vegetation are especially important to the pronghorn in spring and summer. In winter, the pronghorn feeds more heavily on shrubby plants. When the ground is covered with snow, the pronghorn digs until it reaches the buried vegetation. The pronghorn always takes advantage of available water. But in a drought when water scarce or unavailable, it can survive entirely on the moisture that it gets from the plants that it eats, especially the cacti.

Key Facts:
Sizes:
Length: Head and body, 3 to 5 ft., Tail, 3 to 7 in.
Height: 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 ft
Weight: 80 to 150 lbs

Breeding:
Sexual Maturity: Both seses mature at 15 months, but male seldom breeds until 5 years.
Breeding Season: March to October
Gestation: 252 days
No of Young: Usually 2

Lifestyle:
Habit: Territorial grazer; lives in herds
Diet: Shrubs, grass, and cacti
Lifespan: 9 to 10 years in the wild. Up to 12 years in captivity

Related Species: Subspecies include Anthilocapra americana americana, A. a. sonoriensis, A. a. mexicana, and A. a peninsularis
Distribution: Found throughout western parts of North America, from Canada south to Northern Mexico.
Conservation: By the 1920's hunting had reduced the pronghorn's popluation from 35 million to 20,000 animals. Conservationists have now rasied the pronghorn's numbers to about 450,000, but some subspecies remain endangered.

Features of the Pronghorn:
Horns: The male has backward cuving horns with small, forward facing prongs. When the female has horns, they are small. The horns sheath (covering) is shed yearly.
Rump: When alarmed, the pronghorn raises and spreads long, White hairs on its rump to warn other herd members. It also emits a strong scent from glands at the base of the rump hairs.
Fawn: Coat is gray brown at birth; at three weeks it changes to the same to the same pale tan as the adults. Young are left alone for the first few days, except for feedings.

Did you know:
A two day old pronghorn can outrun a man. At four days it can outsrpint a horse. As adult pronghorn has been recorded atr speeds faster than 50 miles an hour.
The female pronghorn has only six scent glands, but the male has nine.
Galloping at full speed, the pronghorn's strides can be more than 25 feet.
Hunters once attracted pronghorns within range by tying flags to bushes.