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Bucks
Height (ft) 3
Weight(lbs.)
75 to135
Length (ft.)4.5 to
5Horn
Length (in)13 to
15
SPUD
Males use the strategy of SPUD (Sniff, Paw
Ground, Urinate, Defecate) to claim
territory. This method sends an olfactory
signal to others that the territory is
claimed. If the strategy does not deter the
bachelor bucks, the territorial male might
glare at the intruder (for up to 25 minutes)
before charging.
HABITAT
The prime territory for Pronghorns might
include a watering hole with feeding and
bedding areas. Nearly all of the Pronghorn
population lives within four miles of water
(a sprint away). The animals do not like to
reside in tall grasses, since it is more
difficult to see predators and run away
from them.
MORTALITY
Newborn fawns are the most susceptible to
death from attack by a predator. Half of
Pronghorn deaths are fawns of less than
six months. Does are alone with the
newborn for the first three to six weeks of
life, and predators strike most often when
the fawns are left alone by the does, who
must graze for food. The oldest
Pronghorns live 18 years, but most do notmake it to their 10th
birthday.
DISTRIBUTPRON
The populatioPronghorns iAmerica onceBisons, but tpopulation
dewith its prairAfter a peak million animacontinent in tcentury,
settland took a la
Population In(numbers are
1800: 700,0
Early 1920s:
A population started in thea decreasingpopulation
anconservation
There are abPronghorns iStates today.
Tale of the Tape
Rut: Late September to Early
October
Gestation: 8 months
# of Young: Usually one fawn for first
birth; then twins
Mortality: Most live approximately 9
years and most deaths are
fawns less than 6 months
Enemies: Wolf, Coyote, Bobcat,
Golden Eagle
Diet: mostly forbs, shrubs
(sagebrush), prickly pear
cactus; little grass
Pronghorn Antelope
OWEN HOEGH
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE
ECOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECT
Antilocapra americana
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Antelope? Really?Actually, no. Explorers mistakenly called
the Pronghorn an antelope, but this North
American animal is not related to its African
counterpart.
The difference is in the horns, and the
characteristics of the horns are what make
the Pronghorn the only species in its family.
Horns Antlers Pronghorns
Hollow solid hollow (sort of)
Unbranched branched minimalbranching
made ofkeratin
made ofbone
made ofkeratin
are not shed are shed part is shed
Male horns start to grow in the 2nd
month oflife, while the 40% of females who develop
horns start to grow them in their 2nd year.
The bony, prong-less core is covered by a
keratin sheath that is shed every year after
rut.
The unique prongs on the horns are a
functional adaptation that helps deflect fatal
blows from other males during mating
disputes.
SPEED
Of all the adaptations the Pronghorn uses for
Life on the Prairie
