American Pronghorn Buck

by Karon Melillo DeVega

Title

American Pronghorn Buck

Artist

Karon Melillo DeVega

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

Pronghorn - Antilocapra americana
Other Names: Antelope

photographed at the National Bison Range, National Park, Moise, Montana.

"Coat rich russet-tan with white underside; large white rump patch; two white bands across throat; black markings on head; eyes large, dark; dew claws absent; horns of adult bucks 13 to 16 inches long with prongs and curved tips; horn sheaths shed annually; about 70% of adult does have horns (averaging 1 1/2 inches long); adult bucks weigh 125 lbs., does 110 lbs. Adult bucks territorial from March through September; does and fawns in small herds drift on and off buck's territories in spring and summer; herds of bachelor bucks excluded from territories; all ages and both sexes congregate in winter herds; during severe winters, herds drift for long distances seeking food; barriers to such movements limit populations; excited animals emit explosive snorts, erect white rump patches, and emit musky odor from glands in rump patches. Upperparts are reddish brown to tan; underparts, lower sides, rump, and two bands on the neck are white; neck has a short black mane; male has a black band along each side of the snout, a black patch on each cheek, and sometimes black bands on the neck; males and most females have horns (larger and usually forked in males; sheaths are shed annually); two toes on each hoofed foot; head and body length 100 to 150 cm, tail 8 to 18 cm, mass 36 to 70 kg" (Nowak 1991)

Shape of the horns and annual shedding of horn sheaths are unique among North American ungulates. Differs from the Bighorn Sheep in having white bands on the neck and slightly curved horns rather than strongly curved horns. Differs from deer in having white lower sides rather than lower sides the same basic color as the upper sides; also, deer lack conspicuous white bands on the neck.

Canon EOS 50D
© Karon Melillo DeVega
All rights reserved

Uploaded

July 12th, 2013

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