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American Antelope

The American Pronghorn is the sole surviving member of an antelope family dating back 20 million years. It is the only animal in the world with branched horns (not antlers) and the only animal that sheds its horns. Like sheep and goats, it has a gall bladder and like giraffes, lacks dewclaws. If that doesn't make it unique, the Pronghorn is the fastest animal in the western hemisphere at up to 60 miles per hour and will take 20 foot jumps. Unlike the Cheetah, speedburner of the African plains, the Pronghorn can run for hours at quite a fast pace.

Range

The Pronghorn lives in the 4 deserts of the American Southwest, from Saskatchewan, Canada south to Mexico.

Habitat

Typical altiplano growth - grasslands, brush, bunch-grass and sagebrush areas of open plains and deserts.

Description

This North American hoofed mammal is the sole surviving member of the Antilocapridae family. It is also called the Prongbuck, Pronghorned Antelope and American Antelope. It is not related to European or African antelopes. It has a slender, graceful, Pronghorn has a deer-like body. It weighs between 90 and 125 pounds, and stands about 3 1/2 feet at the shoulder with protruding eyes and a white tail.

The upper body and outside of the legs are tan to brown. The cheeks, lower jaw, chest, belly, inner legs and rump are usually white. The male has a broad, black band down the snout to a black nose and black neck patch, together with black horns.

Its most distinguishing feature is a lyre shaped horn over its eyes about 4" high. Male horns may grow to 20 inches with a short prong jutting forward and upward halfway from the base. Uniquely, the Pronghorn sheds its horn