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Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
41.9655, -121.921
Field Notes
Description:
The fastest animal on the Western Hemisphere and second fastest in the world, only to the Cheetah, at 55mph. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to convergent evolution.
Habitat:
A species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Although built for speed, it is a very poor jumper. Their ranges are often affected by sheep ranchers' fences. However, they can be seen going under fences, sometimes at high speed. For this reason the Arizona Antelope Foundation and others are in the process of removing the bottom barbed wire from the fences, and/or installing a barb-less bottom wire.
Notes:
Like something out of Africa, I was dying to see this animal from the very first time I knew they were here. I gave up all hope trying to find one and forgot all about it until we were on our way back and it crossed right in front of us in the road! Sadly, this fence in its way has disturbed its migration habits and pronghorn, for some reason, do not jump fences. The last picture is a small herd we saw down the road a ways. I'm thinking it probably belongs to that herd.
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