(click to enlarge pics)
I did see the buffalo roam in western South Dakota, but I can't say I saw the deer and the antelope play...there are Mule Deer there, to be sure, but I never saw them fraternizing side by side with the antelope.
I felt led to show you simple pictures of one of our western animal icons, the Pronghorn Antelope. If you want to be particular, 'true' antelopes are found only in Africa and Asia...the North American Pronghorn is a member of a related family, Antilocapridae (and its only living member, too). I knew you wanted to know that... 
In line with yesterday's blog per dog intelligence, you need only to look into the dark long-eyelashed eyes of these beautiful creations to realize they must be of the same ilk (they are). Those eyes are set well back in the head, allowing them to be vigilant even when their head is down feeding...and can detect movement 3 miles away. And well they should, as they live only on open prarie habitat with no place to hide.
Their key to survival is their speed: sprint speeds hit 60mph, and they can gear down to 30mph and travel for miles...no other land animal can do that or keep up with it. While the cheetah is credited with being the top sprinter, that it its only speed, and is limited to a few hundred yards before running out of gas.
The females are rather easily distinguished from the males in two ways: while 40% of females will grow horns, they get no longer than their ears; too, females lack the black patch under and behind the eyes. Above is a healthy young female Pronghorn. Below is a male.
Overall herd estimates in the North American Plains once numbered 40 to 50-million; by 1915, there were only 12,000 or so left, victims of the same disgraceful slaughter practices wrought upon the buffalo by the white settlers and expansionists. The overwhelming majority of Pronghorns now live in Wyoming and Montana, though you will see the occasional Pronghorn family dotting the western South Dakota landscape just about anywhere.
These photos came from the protected boundaries of Custer State Park in the Black Hills southwest of Rapid City, South Dakota.
2 comments:
Wow, great pics Bob! Love the close-ups and those long lashes --- and yes, one has only to look in THEIR eyes as well ..... !!
I did not know the distinguishing characteristics between male and female pronghorns!
In my driving trips, I've seen lots of pronghorns off of I-94 in eastern MT, and especially numerous herds in the rolling grasslands off of I-90 in eastern WY, and east of I-25 near Sheridan WY and the base of the Bighorns.
Never saw them close-up before though --- again, GREAT pics!
Suzy :)
Statistics say some 75% of the near 1,000,000 Pronghorns live within a 150-mile radius of Casper, Wyoming. I was fortunate to spend a little quiet time with them up close like I did. Beautiful creatures, they are.
Post a Comment