#pronghorns

[strangebiology]

Pronghorns don't jump fences -- so they say...

[jiuudiario]

I LOOOVEEEE pronghorns. They are my FAVORITE animal. I am the BIGGEST fan of pronghorns.

Pronghorns are fascinating animals native to North America. Often called "speed goats," they are the fastest land mammals in the Western Hemisphere, capable of reaching speeds up to 55 mph. Unlike true antelopes, they are the only surviving members of their biological family. They are well-adapted to open plains and have incredible eyesight, allowing them to spot predators from miles away. Their unique horns, which feature a forward-pointing prong, are shed and regrown annually.

Coloration: Their coats are a mix of reddish-brown to tan fur with white stripes across the throat, a white belly, and white rumps. Males are distinguished by a prominent black patch on their cheeks.

Binocular Vision: They have the largest eyes relative to body size of any North American land mammal, allowing them to detect movement up to 4 miles (6 km) away.

Ghost of Predators Past: Scientists believe their extreme speed evolved to evade the now-extinct American cheetah and long-legged hyenas of the Pleistocene epoch.

Oxygen Processing: They possess an enlarged trachea, huge lungs, and a large heart, and they often run with their mouths open to maximize oxygen intake.

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[andmaybegayer]

The pronghorn has been observed to have at least 13 distinct gaits, including one reaching nearly 7.3 m per stride.

[antiqueanimals]

From Terra: The Member's Magazine of The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Volume 15, No. 2. Fall 1976.

Internet Archive

[bignaz8]

Pronghorn herd in the wilds of Sonoita, Arizona

[garnetk]

"The sky sure is dramatic today." My mom said this as we were driving through southern Idaho. Currently on a road trip to Rhode Island for Thanksgiving. I don't think my phone quite managed to capture the drama in the sky. The weather was almost pleasant despite the clouds. We only got rained on once and missed getting snowed on completely.

The Tendoy Mountains in Montana.

At one point Google maps took us down a sketchy looking road and we saw this herd of pronghorns.

The sky in southern Idaho.

More of southern Idaho.

The sunset in Wyoming.

[tpeakphotos]

On an April afternoon drive in the Smoke Creek Desert (Lassen County California), I saw a fair number of pronghorns. This is in no way unusual. It would be unusual to not see at least a few. What was quite unusual indeed is that they were somewhat cooperative for picture taking. Normally, when driving on those dirt roads the first look I get of them is when they’re moving across the rugged terrain faster than I can safely drive on the road. They came by their “speed goat” moniker honestly (although they’re more closely related to giraffes than to goats). Their skittishness is quite often in direct conflict with their curiosity. The latter evidently won out that evening. I saw several different groups while I was out there including a couple small groups of does. The highlight was this little group of bucks including one pretty good sized boy who was clearly quite proud of himself. These guys actually walked TOWARD my pickup for a bit when I stopped in the road. Add to that the nice warm late afternoon light, and I got a rare photo of these critters that I actually like, somewhat offsetting the plethora of bad frames I’ve gotten while trying.

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[muleydoestreasurehoard]

Pronghorn postcard from the Natural History Museum