Pronghorn - Apiscacihkos - Antilope
PRONGHORN
Antilocapra americana (scientific name)
Apiscacihkos (Indigenous Name - Cree)
Antilope (French)
Pronghorns are named for their horns, which have a distinctive prong on the front!
A pronghorn's average lifespan is 12 years in captivity, and a lifespan between 9 & 10 years in the wild.
Pronghorn range in all 4 deserts in North America, from Saskatchewan, to Southern Canada, and even Mexico!
Pronghorn are very unique in that they are the only animal in the WORLD that has branched horns and the only animal in the world to shed their horns! While pronghorns do not actually have antlers, the way they shed their horns leads a lot of folks to believe they do!
Pronghorns have a shoulder height of around 3.5 feet, and weigh between 90 & 120 lbs.
They have horns, and the female horns do not exceed 3 or 4 inches, while the male horns can get up to 20 inches tall!
Baby Pronghorns are born in May and June, and strangely around 60% of pronghorns are born as twins! The babies lay still for a whole day or two, which is the main way they protect themselves against predators. Can you think of reasons staying still can help Pronghorns hide? Once babies start walking, they can run as fast as 25mph!
Pronghorns have a short, 4-inch tail that's either white, or brown like the rest of their bodies. Pronghorn grow into the distinctive spots on their chests. Males have a black line going down their snout, as well as a black patch on their necks. Females don't have the black spots.
Pronghorns are very nervous animals, able to see as far as 4 miles away! This, combined with their running speed of 60 miles-per-hour helps them escape predators like wolves. Unlike most fast animals, pronghorns can keep up this breakneck pace for hours without breaking a sweat!
​
They can also survive in temperatures as low as -40C, and as high as +55C! Pronghorns sure are hardy animals.
​
While we can find Pronghorn in Canada, they should be respected, as they are still wild animals and are unpredictable. Most of the time, they will run away if they see you, but can get territorial and mean during their mating season. Remember, take lots of pictures, but stay at least a hundred feet away (That's around 3 school buses away!)
Have you ever seen a Pronghorn in the wild?
Sources:
