American Pronghorns: The pronghorn is the second fastest land animal in the world, almost as fast as the cheetah. It is the fastest in the Western Hemisphere. In 1915, after the American pronghorn was almost hunted to extinction, there were only 15,000 animals. Today, there are less than 700,000, but some pronghorn are still on the brink of extinction. This deer-like mammal has a tawny back and white belly and rump. It has two broad white blazes across a tan throat and a short mane. Bucks have a broad black band from eyes down the snout to a black nose and black cheek patch. Horns are black. A buck's horns may be 12-20 inches long when fully grown, curving back and slightly inward with a "prong" sticking out half way up. A doe's horns are seldom more than 3-4 inches. About the size of a goat. Pronghorns average 35-41 inches tall. Males weigh 90-140 pounds and females weigh 75-105 pounds. Life Span: 7-10 years. Interesting Facts: The pronghorn runs with its mouth open, not from exhaustion but to gasp extra oxygen. Often mistakenly called an antelope, pronghorn are actually the last surviving species of a group of antelope-like goats called antilocaprids that are native only to North America. The pronghorn is the only horned animal in the world that sheds at least the outer layer of its horns every year. The eyesight of a pronghorn is equivalent of a human using eight-power binoculars. Adult pronghorn are built for speed to outrun predators. This adaptation evolved on the ancient American prairies because ancient pronghorn had to outrun prehistoric cheetahs and dire wolves. No modern predator can outrun and catch a healthy adult pronghorn. The fastest animal in the Western Hemisphere and among the fastest in the world, the pronghorn, often making 20-foot bounds, can reach a top speed of 60 miles per hour. It rivals the cheetah for world land-speed records. Pronghorn can maintain an easy cruising speed of 30 mph for about 15 miles.