PRONGHORN
ABOUT PRONGHORN
CHARACTERISTIC PRONGHORN
- STATUS
Least Concern
- POPULATION
700,000
- SCIENTIFIC NAME
Antilocarpa americana
- HEIGHT
Approximately 3 feet at the shoulder
- WEIGHT
110 - 125 pounds
- LENGTH
39-59 inches
- HABITATS
grasslands, deserts
WHY THEY MATTER
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
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.
Path of the Pronghorn