Pronghorn (Mammals of the Kaibab National Forest)

Pronghorn

Antilocapra americana

Summary ⁵

The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, cabri (native American) or simply antelope because it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to convergent evolution. It is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae. During the Pleistocene...

Description ⁶

Pronghorn are endemic to North America, and are the only living members of the family Antilocapridae. In the Pleistocene, about a dozen species roamed the continent. Two things distinguish their horns from those of all other mammals: they fork, and the black, outer, forked sheath is shed annually from the unforked, bony core. The horns of females are shorter and do not develop a pronounced prong-like shape. Pronghorns stay in the open, relying on their excellent eyesight and speed for protection - they have been clocked at 72 km per hour. They communicate with each other visually, by raising the mane on the back of the neck into a stiff brush and erecting the white hairs on the rump. When a Pronghorn activates this visual beacon, it is coupled with an olfactory signal: the rump glands emit a strong smell.

Adaptation: Pronghorn have large eyes projecting away from the skull. A prominent ring-like eye socket supports the eyes, giving them a very wide field of view.

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Mammal Species of the World

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