Many people who are curious about North American wildlife often wonder if antelopes live in the United States. While the term “antelope” is commonly associated with African and Eurasian animals, North America is home to a unique species often referred to by this name. This animal possesses remarkable adaptations.
America’s Pronghorn: An Antelope by Another Name
The animal most commonly called an “antelope” in the United States is the pronghorn, scientifically known as Antilocapra americana. Despite its popular moniker, the pronghorn is not a true antelope; rather, it is the sole surviving member of its own distinct taxonomic family, Antilocapridae. This family is endemic to North America. Its closest living relatives are the giraffids, which include giraffes and okapis.
The superficial resemblance to Old World antelopes, particularly in appearance and grazing habits, led early European explorers to mistakenly apply the name, and the term “pronghorn antelope” persisted. However, the pronghorn represents a unique evolutionary branch, having existed in North America for millions of years. It is separate from the Bovidae family, which encompasses true antelopes, cattle, goats, and sheep.
Defining Features and Adaptations
Pronghorns possess several distinctive biological characteristics that allow them to thrive in their open habitats. They are widely recognized as the fastest land animals in North America, capable of reaching speeds up to 55 to 60 miles per hour. While cheetahs are faster over short bursts, pronghorns can sustain high speeds for much longer distances, a trait believed to have evolved from an evolutionary interaction with now-extinct North American cheetahs. Their physical build, including large lungs and hearts, and a lightweight skeleton, supports this remarkable endurance.
Another unique feature is their headgear. Unlike deer antlers, which are solid bone and shed annually, or true horns, which are permanent bony cores covered by a keratin sheath and never shed, pronghorns have permanent bony cores from which a keratinous sheath grows. This outer sheath is shed yearly, a characteristic unique among horned animals. Males display a prominent forward-pointing “prong” on their horns, giving the species its name, while females have smaller, often unpronged horns.
Pronghorns also possess exceptionally large eyes, providing them with a wide 320-degree field of vision. Their acute eyesight allows them to detect predators from distances up to four miles away, a crucial adaptation for survival in their exposed environments. Their diet primarily consists of forbs and shrubs, including sagebrush. They are highly efficient at extracting moisture from their food, allowing them to go for extended periods without needing to drink water.
Where Pronghorns Roam and Their Conservation
Pronghorns inhabit the open plains, grasslands, sagebrush steppe, and desert environments across western and central North America. Their range extends from southern Canada, through many western U.S. states, and into northern Mexico. Key populations are found in states like Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.
Historically, millions of pronghorns roamed these landscapes, but their populations faced a severe decline by the early 20th century due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss from agricultural expansion and settlement. Numbers plummeted to an estimated 13,000 individuals by 1915. However, conservation efforts, including hunting regulations and the establishment of wildlife refuges, led to a substantial recovery.
Today, the overall population is stable, estimated at around 700,000 to one million animals, and the species is listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN. Despite this success, challenges remain, particularly habitat fragmentation caused by roads, development, and fencing, which can impede their seasonal migrations and access to resources. Some subspecies, such as the Sonoran and Peninsular pronghorns, continue to face endangerment due to habitat degradation and other pressures.