Where does the pronghorn live?
The pronghorn is an ungulate of interior western and central North America, living in very varied habitats: its range extends from Saskatchewan and Alberta south through the western US states into Mexico. It lives in open terrain. It is not an antelope, but closely resembles the antelopes of the Old World through parallel evolution. It is the only surviving member of its family; its closest living relatives are the giraffe and the okapi.
What does the pronghorn eat?
It eats forbs (20 to 62%), shrubs (18 to 23%), grasses (15 to 22%) and cacti, and even plants toxic to livestock. It is famous for its speed and endurance: it can sustain 56 km/h for 6.5 km, 68 km/h for 1.5 km and 88.5 km/h for 800 m, for longer than African cheetahs. It also makes long migrations: an overland route of more than 260 km has been followed.
Is the pronghorn endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. Its population recovered from about 13,000 in the 1920s to between 500,000 and 1,000,000 since the 1930s. Its predators include cougars, wolves, coyotes, grizzly bears, bobcats and golden eagles.
