Pronghorn Antelope

The Pronghorn Antelope, scientific name: Antilocapra americana is the only living member of its family and is limited to the American West. Before the great slaughter of the 1800’s it’s speculated that 40-50 Million Pronghorn roamed the plains, but the slaughter was not limited to strictly Bison and by 1915 only 15,000 Pronghorn remained. Attempts to reintroduce the species to some areas of Kansas have been unsuccessful, however, presently, there are 1 million Pronghorns now living in the American West.

Pronghorn Antelope live either a solitary lifestyle or can be found living in small groups. In the winter, the solitary Pronghorn and the small groups join to create large herds. The Male Pronghorns are typically larger than the females and measure 31-40’ tall at the shoulder. Male Pronghorns, however, are not the only ones with horns. 40% of female antelope have horns as well though they never exceed the length of their ears and they are not pronged. The females will typically give birth to twins, each weighing in at five to seven pounds, at the end of the winter. The fawn’s greatest form of defense is to lie still in the grass while mother grazes on forbs, brush, shrubs and even sometimes cacti.