This is a male pronghorn that I photographed in the spring of 2011 in Yellowstone National Park. The pronghorn is the fastest land mammals in the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered to be the second fastest land mammal in the world — behind only the cheetah. Unlike the cheetah, however, which can only sustain high speeds for short sprint-like bursts, the pronghorn has more endurance and can run at a speed of 55 mph for half a mile or 35 mph for four miles. A cheetah, incidentally, can reach a top speed of 75 mph, but that’s a tale for another post. Enjoy the long holiday weekend (if you get it). I’m currently in the Seattle/Vancouver area searching for snowy owls and other creatures. Hopefully I’ll be back on Tuesday with something to share.
4 Comments
What a formidable face this pronghorn has! Good luck with the owl prowl. Going on my own here in western New England. Long earred and short earred owls have been spotted locally. No snowy’s yet.
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most beautiful places to visit in this country, the landscape is breathtaking and the abundent wildlife to view is unbelievable.
Great shot…got his attention!
Reminiscing of Colorado with this…