Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Pronghorn


Here is the picture I took yesterday of the pronghorn. I'm not sure how old this one is, but it has to be pretty young. There were 2 walking together who appeared to be the same age. Pronghorn teens, maybe? Both males and females have horns, but the females' horns are usually less noticeable. These pronghorns look like they were youngsters, especially with the soft looking fur. They are cute things, that's for sure.

We see pronghorn a lot when we go to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. They are also all over Montana and we've seen them in Glacier from time to time too. They can run over 60 miles per hour and are the fastest animal in North America. They're also the second fastest land animal behind the cheetah. Pronghorns can actually run longer than cheetahs at high speeds. This particular one wasn't in any hurry though. In fact, he stood in the road for awhile (with his sibling), making a car wait a few minutes before it could pass. Maybe no one has taught him that he's the fastest land animal in America. He wasn't in any hurry, not with all the sunshine to enjoy!

11 comments:

  1. They do, Marcia, but their tails are only a few inches (maybe 4) long. It's hard to see them. Usually we know we've spotted a pronghorn off in the distance when we see it's behind. The white makes it stand out a little.

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  2. "Pronghorn teens, maybe?" Funny! Thanks for the info on a cool animal I've never heard of. : )

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  3. I love the eyelashes :o) Is it Yellowstone Park as in Yogi Bear?

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  4. Yes, Niki -- In the Yogi Bear cartoons they're supposed to be in Yellowstone. However, they changed the name to Jellystone National Park for the cartoon. Funny thing is, just about an hour away from the Montana National Bison Range is an RV Park campground called Jellystone. They have a big statue of Yogi Bear standing out front. :)

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  5. Nice shot of the pronghorn! I really enjoyed photographing them when we were in Montana this fall. Usually you see them running, which definitely makes it more challenging to get a good shot. Visiting the National Bison Range made for a really good field trip for you and your family. We'll have to keep it in mind on another of our forays south.

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  6. Cool pic. I love learning about other states through pictures and blogs like yours, Rena. Thanks for telling me about this. You never know, this may be a clue in the state book about Montana. E :)

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  7. Great picture! I have to admit that I had never heard of a pronghorn before reading your blog. Gotta love a blog that is educational and enjoyable!
    Thanks Rena! :)

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  8. I'm not sure if I saw one of these when I was in Montana. I don't think so. He's so cute!

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  9. I don't think I've ever seen a pronghorn before. Thanks for sharing your picture and story!

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  10. Those things are EVERYWHERE here. In the neighborhoods, on the highways, on the prairie, everywhere. They are pretty though.

    Nancy

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