Pronghorn
Overview
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LC
Status
Least Concern
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a
Population
700,000
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b
Scientific Name
Antilocarpa americana
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c
Height
Approximately 3 feet at the shoulder
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d
Weight
110 - 125 pounds
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C
Length
39-59 inches
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e
Habitats
grasslands, deserts
The pronghorn antelope is the fastest hoofed animal in North America and is capable of reaching speeds up to 60 mph. During the winter of 2011, WWF monitored a pronghorn herd that made the longest terrestrial migration in the U.S.'s lower 48 states. Most pronghorn populations remain stable, but have experienced a historic decline. Pronghorn follow the same migration corridors year after year, generation after generation. Today, the thoroughfares that link the summer breeding grounds and winter grazing areas are being fragmented by roads, cities, fences and energy development. These fragmentations threaten the migratory routes and survival of pronghorn.
Map data provided by IUCN.
- Places
- Habitats
How bison survive winter in the Northern Great Plains
Despite roaming vast distances in the Northern Great Plains, bison do not move south as the weather grows cold and inhospitable, though they may move to lower elevations where snow is not so deep. Temperatures plummet well below zero, bitter winds whip across the landscape, and bison still remain.
Why They Matter
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Pronghorn are an indicator of healthy sagebrush systems which can suffer from fragmentation and degradation. They are North America’s fastest land mammal and embark on the longest land migration of any hoofed animal in America’s lower 48 states.
Threats
- Population 700,000
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Extinction Risk Least Concern
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EX
Extinct
No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
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EW
Extinct in the Wild
Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
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CR
Critically Endangered
Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
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EN
Endangered
Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
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VU
Vulnerable
Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
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NT
Near Threatened
Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
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LC
Least Concern
Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened
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EX
Every year, pronghorn herds follow the same migration pathways as their ancestors. Habitat fragmentation from fences, roads and energy development create barriers and threaten the animal’s ability to safely return to seasonal breeding and wintering grounds. Energy development can also degrade vital grounds, displace herds and fragment seasonal migration routes.
What WWF Is Doing
WWF works to understand pronghorn migrations and ensure migration routes are unobstructed in the future. In 2011, WWF monitored one of the longest pronghorn migrations on record. The herd battled record snow falls and pushed further south than ever before to find nourishment. This work helped conservation organization across the U.S .better understand where and how these annual migrations take place, and what conservation priorities will be necessary in the future.
Dennis Jorgensen
Bison Initiative Coordinator, Program Officer, Northern Great Plains
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