Pronghorn

Animal Details

Common Name

Pronghorn

Scientific Name

Antilocapra americana

Type

Mammal

Status

Least Concern

Diet

Herbivore

Geographic Range

Grasslands of North America

Life Span

11 Years

Offspring

1-2 fawns

Meet The Animal

Pronghorn are among the speediest animals in North America. They can run at more than 53 miles an hour, leaving pursuing coyotes and bobcats in the dust. Pronghorn are also great distance runners that can travel for miles at half that speed.

Their Behavior

Pronghorn are reddish-brown but have white stomachs and wide white stripes on their throats. When startled, they raise the hair on their rumps and necks and emit a smell similar to Fritos chips. Pronghorn are often called antelope but are actually much more closely related to giraffes and okapi.

Did You Know?

Both male and female pronghorn grow their namesake horns, though the males are bigger and more impressive. They shed the sheath of these horns every year in the late fall.