Pronghorn | Species

Species
Pronghorn

Species
Pronghorn

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Overview
Why They Matter
Threats
What WWF is Doing
How You Can Help
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Overview

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

The pronghorn antelope is the fastest hoofed animal in North America and is capable of reaching speeds up to 60 mph. During the winter of 2011, WWF monitored a pronghorn herd that made the longest terrestrial migration in the U.S.'s lower 48 states. Most pronghorn populations remain stable, but have experienced a historic decline. Pronghorn follow the same migration corridors year after year, generation after generation. Today, the thoroughfares that link the summer breeding grounds and winter grazing areas are being fragmented by roads, cities, fences and energy development. These fragmentations threaten the migratory routes and survival of pronghorn.

Map data provided by IUCN.

Places
Northern Great Plains
Habitats
Grasslands, Deserts

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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

Population 700,000
Extinction Risk Least Concern
1. EX
  Extinct
  
  No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died
2. EW
  Extinct in the Wild
  
  Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population
3. CR
  Critically Endangered
  
  Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild
4. EN
  Endangered
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
5. VU
  Vulnerable
  
  Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild
6. NT
  Near Threatened
  
  Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future
7. LC
  Least Concern
  
  Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

A small herd of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) cross over a hilltop as a storm brews overhead. Montana, Northern Great Plains, United States

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

Two pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in a field. Montana, Northern Great Plains, United States

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.

How You Can Help

Take Action

Tell your members of Congress and President Obama to reject budget proposals that would slash funding for endangered species and tropical forests, clean air and water, and efforts to confront climate change.