Pronghorn

Pronghorn, mammal, related to the antelope, that is considered the fastest animal in North America, with a maximum recorded speed of 86.5 km/h (53.8 mph). Both sexes carry erect horns containing a bone core surrounded by a keratin sheath. Each year after the breeding season, the old sheath is shed and replace by the new sheath growing underneath. Horns of the male have two prongs; the female's are short spikes. The animal is reddish brown with a dark brown mane, white underparts, two white bands on its neck, and a large white patch on its rump. When alarmed, the animal can make this hair stand straight out, producing a white flash.

Pronghorns inhabit open plains and semidesert, where they eat grass, forb, sagebrush, and cactus. They live alone or in small groups in summer; some males join groups of females with offspring. There is never more than one adult male present in these groups. Other males form unisexual herds. The number of pronghorns left in the wild was less than 20,000 during the 1920s, but control of hunting and good wildlife management have brought the population to between 750,000 and 1 million.

Scientific classification: The pronghorn belongs to the family Antilocapridae, in the order Artiodactyla. It is classified as Antilocapra americana.