Pronghorns: the American Goat-Antelope
Created | Updated Apr 17, 2006
As the fastest North American mammal, pronghorns can reach speeds of sixty miles per hour. Sprinting over land at high speed they can cover the ground in great strides of fourteen to twenty-four feet, and are known to run for long distances at speeds of forty miles per hour.
Quick Statistics
Status: Stable populationColor: Light tan to rich brown with white patches under the stomach and on the rump.
Size: Mature male pronghorn weigh between 85 and 130 pounds and mature females weigh between 75 and 105 pounds.
Habitat: North American plains and deserts, especially where there is open grass.
Range: North American plains and deserts.
Food: Opportunistic foragers, consuming forbs from spring to late fall, shrubs year-round and grasses when they are young and succulent.
Behaviour: Chiefly diurnal, most active in mornings and evenings, seasonal nomads. Bucks and does tend to travel, eat and sleep together in large herds during the winter. Estimated to have a life span of 8 to 10 years in the wild.
Offspring: Breeding season begins in late July or early August. The following spring, pregnant does isolate themselves from the herd to give birth. About 60% of births are twins.
Threats: Habitat encroachment and predation by coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and golden eagles.
Antelope Anecdotes
these are some seriously crazy animals
