Species of the Week
Sonoran Pronghorn
Antelope
Where do they live?
Pronghorn Antelope
live in the deserts of
Arizona and are
found nowhere else
in the world.
What is their niche?
They are diurnal: active in mornings and
evenings.
Their diet consists of grasses, shrubs, weeds,
and cacti.
Predators include coyotes, bobcats,
mountain lions, and eagles.
Nomadic (wander) with seasonal migrations.
Winter in large herds of both sexes, separate
into male and female herds in the spring.
What are their adaptations?
Hollow hair provides
insulation.
Powerful legs allow them to
run at speeds of up to 60mph.
Keen eyesight to detect
predators.
Horns on males and females
have a sheath that is shed
once a year.
Can raise the hair on their
rumps to alert herd of danger!
What is threatening the
Pronghorn’s survival?
Habitat loss is the major threat.
Pronghorn cannot leap fences, so rangeland has
hampered their migration.
Livestock overgrazing destroys habitat.
Diseases introduced by livestock have caused
numbers to decline.
Damming causes the diversion of rivers
leading to limited water supply for the
antelope.
Habitat Loss
What is being done to help?
Strict Hunting Limits
Antelope Foundation works to
raise the bottom rung of
barbed wire fences so the
antelope can crawl underneath.
Almost all Sonoran Antelope
were gone from AZ before they
were re-introduced in 1961 and
a refuge was established to
protect them from the livestock
damage.
Water is being provided in
remote areas.
Pronghorn Pics