 |
Kingdom:
Animalia Pronghorn Antelope |
|
| Description
You are visitor # Last updated 11/14/02 |
Behavior:
Pronghorn are the fastest mammal in North America, reaching speeds of over 60 mph (Pisarowicz 2002). This speed combined with their well developed eyesight is their defense from predators. When alerted to danger a pronghorn will raise its white hairs on its rump giving a visual warning to other pronghorn for miles around (Pisarowicz 2002). Pronghorns are active day and night, but activity is greatest just after sunrise and before sunset (Kitchen and O’Gara 1982). In the spring and summer pronghorn will divide into smaller groups. The dominant males will mark their own territories. The males with the best territories will do the most breeding (Kitchen 1974). The submissive males will group in the unclaimed areas. The females will travel openly between the different territories. After the rut, the horns are shed and the hierarchy becomes unclear. At this time the pronghorn will form large herds, of up to several thousand, which will last through the remainder of fall and until the end of winter. Herd size varies with the reproductive state and with the seasons. The adult sex ratio can vary from 1 buck: 1.10 does to 1 buck: 5 does (Kitchen and O’Gara 1982).
|