Antelope
Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana) are is the only member of its family, Antilocapridae. They are easy to spot and live in the open prairie areas all across much of Montana and the surrounding states. The pronghorn has dark brown hair on its back and sides with lighter colored hair on its belly, throat and rump patch. A male has black cheek patches, some black over his face, and black horns. Bucks (males) have horns with curved prongs. The horns reach about a foot in length. Mature does (females), also have horns that are much smaller - just a couple of inches long. Mature antelope bucks weighs from 100 to 130 pounds and the female from 75 to 100 pounds. more info
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Antelope Standing in Long Grass
© National Park Service
With a large-capacity respiratory system and slender, strong legs, the pronghorn is extremely fast, with a top speed of about 60 miles per hour.
Antelope can easily outrun any
other animal that tries to catch it.
During late summer and early fall, the bucks begin to challenge rivals, and two or more bucks may engage in mock battles, but injuries seldom occur.
As the height of courtship and mating approaches in September and October, females in the harem become more and more attentive to the bucks.
Pronghorn antelope have been known to breed as fawns but they usually breed for the first time when they are 16 to 17 months of age.
The does usually produces twin fawns in early June after a gestation period of about 250 days. Does usually have two fawns per year that stand up and learn to and run within a few minutes of being born. They are usually born in swales and low-lying areas with small ridges or hills surrounding them where the vegetation is short and sparse.
At birth a fawn weighs between five and nine pounds. At just four days old they can keep up with the herd.
Pronghorn antelope have a highly developed social nature, resulting in small family groups in summer and larger wintering herds.
The bucks are fairly territorial in the spring, summer and fall, but join the
herd to forage in winter. Herds may roam many miles in search of food.
Dry prairie areas, with thin vegetative cover and shrubby growth, is well suited to the antelope.
The major portion of the pronghorn's diet is composed of forbs and browse plants, and normally little grass.
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