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North America’s stealthiest land mammal is also very skittish, with a keen sense of sight. Getting anywhere near them can prove to be an effort in itself. So, on that morning, when I saw a herd descending into a field of sagebrush, I took my time easing down into the opposite side of the field and huddling up to an inconspicuous brush of sage. I sat in the thawing snow and mud and watched as they approached. As is so often the case, I delight at being able to watch animals interact in the absence of interference. Just as enticing is observing their behavior when they detect a nonthreatening human presence. When the approaching herd finally noticed me, the lead male place himself conspicuously between me and his compatriots. They approached no further but otherwise carried on as if I didn’t exist, making for a fulfilling hour of wonder.
My children's book about pronghorn... "Pronghorn Run"
As the sun sets, pronghorn crest a neighboring mountain top, casting unseen shadows and creating dreamy silhouettes. It’s a spectacle I always look forward to when visiting Yellowstone and one that many people miss in their on their rush out of the park in the evening.
Getting close to pronghorn isn't always easy. The fastest land mammal in North America is also keenly cautious. They were built to outrun the North America's extinct cheetah like cats. Speed alone would not have been enough to keep them safe. Having arrived before the herd, I sat at the base of a sage and remained as quiet as possible, without overtly trying to hide. The pronghorn took notice but apparently didn't find me to be much of a threat as they continued to graze and browse across the open field, moving slowly in my direction. I truly think that they are some of the most elegant and underappreciated ungulates of the west and I relished the opportunity that they provided me for closer observation.
I think that Pronghorn are some of the most elegant ungulates in North America. Elegance isn’t their only noteworthy characteristic, however. These long-legged antelope-like creatures are also the fastest land mammal in on the continent, reaching speeds of over 55 miles per hour. Unlike so many other herbivores and mammals of the past, Pronghorn have survived ice ages and mass extinction events, remaining virtually unchanged for over 30,000 years. Now in steady decline, a race is on to determine what is leading to the eventual obliteration of a race of creatures that was so hearty. It’s a race that the fastest mammal on this continent can’t afford to lose. #Pronghorn.
I’m not generally one who likes to center and animal in a photo but some animals take center stage. The Pronghorn isn’t just the fastest land mammal in North America. It also has the longest over land migration route. That migration has been impeded by the placement of fences. The one thing these creatures of speed are not able to do is jump. Fences create a unique problem for them. Modifications can allow them to pass under the lower portions of a fence, which they will do readily. It’s an easy fix for an otherwise complex environmental issue.
#Pronghorn
America’s fastest running land mammal was built for speed, it wasn’t, however, built for jumping. It also has some of the longest land migrations of any animal in North America but because of its inability to jump, fences have impeded this migration. Modifications of fences have helped assure safe passage for pronghorn, while still maintaining grazing herds of domestic animals. It’s a tiny compromise for a big cause. #Pronghorn #PronghornRun
Large flakes of wet snow drift slowly to the ground. Their patter is the only sound one can hear on the northern slopes of Yellowstone where pronghorn, the fastest land mammal in North America, have gathered to graze and rest. Moving at the speed of silence they watch patiently but seem little bothered by our intrusion. Others move softly across the meadow sharing the sparse vestiges of flora partially hidden by the winter white. #Pronghorn #Notantelope #ConvergentEvolution
A young pronghorn and its mother graze near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Although pronghorn look overwhelmingly similar to antelope of Africa, genetic studies have shown that they are not closely related. They are perfect examples of a process by which life placed in similar environments, even in different parts of the globe, will develop along the same lines. It has been given the name convergent evolution. Whether you believe that this process is an inherent characteristic of DNA or that a divine being leads the process along is irrelevant. The evidence is undeniable. Probably the most significant characteristic of DNA is its ability to mutate. When some of those mutations survive or even thrive we have an evolutionary process. This process isn't incompatible with religious beliefs. In fact, my college comparative anatomy professor was a priest. He believed everything he taught. #lLoveScience #ILoveNature #ILoveWildlife #WildlifePhototgraphy in #Wyoming #Nature in #GTNP #GrandTetonNationalPark #Pronghorn #PronghornRun #DrDADBooks #Photography in #America #Picoftheday #Photooftheday