Prong buck, Pronghorn antelope, American antelope
The pronghornAntilocapra americana) is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal found in western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American antelope, Prong buck, Speed goat, Pronghorn antelope, Prairie antelope, or simply 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.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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Fast AnimalsThe pronghorn is tan to reddish-brown in color. Its cheeks, belly, chest, rump, and the insides of its legs are white. Males have a wide black mask running from their eyes to their noses, black parches on their necks, and pronged black horns. The horns of the male are shaped like a lyre, curving in towards each other. Females don’t have black markings, and the horns are generally straight short spikes. The pronghorn possesses horns, not antlers, and is the only animal with branched horns and the only animal that each year sheds its horns. The outer sheath falls off in the autumn and grows back every summer.
The pronghorn is native to North America and is distributed throughout the treeless deserts, plains, and basins of western North America, across the southern prairie provinces in Canada, south into the west of the United States, and to the north of Mexico. Pronghorns are typically found in grassland, chaparral, sage scrub, and desert. The southern part of their range consists mostly of open prairies and arid grasslands.
This highly-strung animal is active day and night, alternating snatches of sleep with focused feeding. Pronghorns are opportunistic and selective foragers. The timing, length, and seasonal movement patterns vary regionally. Pronghorns come together in mixed-gender herds in winter. The herds break up in early spring and young males form bachelor groups, females join a group of females, and adult males live on their own. Females form dominance hierarchies which include circular relationships. Dominant females will aggressively displace other females at feeding sites. Pronghorns travel up to 160 km away from winter ranges to get away from very deep snow.
Pronghorns are herbivorous (folivorous) animals. In summer, they graze on grasses, cactus, and forbs, while in winter, they eat sagebrush and other plants that are available.
Pronghorns are polygamous. Late in summer or in early fall, a male gathers his harem of three or four does. Pronghorns are usually ready to breed at 16 to 17 months. Breeding takes place from mid-September until October. Horns are shed one month after breeding. Females usually produce twins, following a gestation of about 250 days. After birth, for several days the fawns are weak and cannot keep up with the adults, so mothers and the young rest near the water until they are strong enough. Females care for their fawns from birth until 1 to 1.5 years, until they are independent. Males do not help with raising offspring. Reproductive maturity is reached at 15 to 16 months, though males rarely breed until 3 years old.
Today, there are some localized declines taking place, especially to the Sonoran Pronghorn, mostly as a result of livestock grazing, new roads, and fences, and other barriers to historical habitat, insufficient food and water, illegal hunting (especially in Mexico), and lack of recruitment.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total pronghorn population size is around 1 million individuals. Specific populations of this species have been estimated in such areas: fewer than 300 individuals of Sonoran pronghorn in the United States; 200-500 individuals in Mexico; around 200 Peninsular pronghorn in and around breeding centers in Baja California. Overall, currently, pronghorns are classified as Least Concern (LC) and their numbers today remain stable.
Throughout their range, these animals live alongside cattle, sheep, bison, and horses. Pronghorns improve rangeland quality for other species by eating invasive plants and noxious weeds. Introduced livestock may overgraze in areas shared with pronghorn, reducing cover and the amount of food. Reduction of cover may cause more deaths amongst the young through predation.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...