The fastest land mammal in the Americas at 60 mph and the second-fastest in the world — pronghorn evolved alongside an extinct American cheetah and have been "running from a ghost" for 10,000 years.

Also called: Pronghorn Antelope (technically incorrect), Speed Goat

Native status: Native; recovered from ~30,000 in 1924 to ~700,000 today

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 1.4 m (4.5 ft); shoulder height 0.8–1.0 m
WeightMales 40–65 kg (88–143 lb); females 34–48 kg
LifespanWild typically 7–10 years; oldest documented 15
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyAntilocapridae

§ Encyclopedia

The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American antelope, prong buck, pronghorn antelope, and prairie antelope, because it closely resembles the antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to parallel evolution. It is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae.

Source: Wikipedia — Pronghorn Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Tan and white antelope-like ungulate (not a true antelope) with black face markings on males; both sexes have backwards-curving black horns with single forward-pointing prong (males larger). White rump patch flares as alarm signal.

Similar species. Mule Deer (no horn prong, larger ears). White-tailed Deer (different antler shape). No true antelope native to North America.

Voice. Snorts; alarm wheezes; bucks roar during rut.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Sagebrush, forbs, browse; small amounts of grass. Diet shifts seasonally with plant availability.

Behavior. Fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere — sustained 70 km/h (45 mph) over kilometers; sprints to 88 km/h (55 mph). Speed evolved as defense against the now-extinct American Cheetah; modern predators are no match for an adult pronghorn. Migration route between Wyoming's Upper Green River and Grand Teton NP is the longest land-mammal migration in the lower 48 states (~150 km each way) — and threatened by oil/gas development and fencing.

§ Range

Great Plains and arid western US from southern Saskatchewan to northern Mexico

§ Habitat

Open grasslands, sagebrush flats, semi-deserts

§ Threats

Fence entanglement (pronghorn won't jump fences, only crawl under), highway collisions during migration, energy development in sagebrush habitat.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the pronghorn is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support wildlife-friendly fencing (bottom wire 18" off ground, smooth not barbed). Donate to the Path of the Pronghorn corridor. Slow down on rural highways.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Wyoming Game and Fish Department
  • Wildlife Conservation Society Path of the Pronghorn
  • IUCN Red List 2016