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 Photo by: D. Robert Franz |
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Habitat: Pronghorns inhabit grasslands and semidesert shrublands on rolling topography that affords good visibility. They are most abundant in shortgrass or midgrass prairies and least common in xeric habitats.
Diet: They consume such plants as larkspur, loco-weed, Hymenoxys, cocklebur, "Haplopappus," yucca, and needle-and-thread, which are known to be poisonous or injurious to domestic stock (Hoover et al. 1959). In northwestern Colorado, shrubs compose over 90 percent of the fall and winter diet on sagebrush and bitterbrush range, whereas forbs account for 64 to 80 percent of the spring and summer diet (Bear 1973).
Description: The pronghorn is a small, graceful, hoofed mammal with a decidedly large head and prominent, laterally positioned eyes. Males are larger than females. The general color is pale reddish brown to tan with two broad white bands across the throat. The ventral surface and rump are white. In males the dorsal surface of the muzzle is often dark, and black jaw patches are visible on the side of the checks close to the neck. The guard hairs are moderately long, hollow, brittle, and coarse with a longer, dark mane of hairs on the nape of the neck. The underfur is woolly. Hairs on the rump can be erected to form a conspicuous patch used to communicate potential danger. Fawns are similar to adults but paler in color with indistinct markings. There are only two hooves on each foot; dewclaws are lacking. Measurements are: total length 1.0-1.5 m; length of tail 75-180 mm; length of hindfoot 400-432 mm; length of ear 140-150 mm; weight 36-70 kg.
Range in Colorado: In Colorado the species is found on the eastern plains, in the larger mountain parks and valleys, and on shrublands west of the mountains.
Status: CDOW Big Game, CDOW WRIS Species
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Species Occurrence Tool
(*) NDIS has no county occurrence data for fish at this time.
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