The Pronghorn, America’s Fastest Land Mammal, Rules the Texas Desert and Plains

Each month, we get to know one of the state’s many wonderful and quirky critters. Latin name: Antilocapra americanaSize: 3–5 feet long and 90–150 pounds (males)Texas habitat: The Panhandle, far West Texas, and San AngeloWhen they hit their top speeds of nearly 60 miles per hour, pronghorn kick up clouds of dust that swirl in their wake. Only cheetahs can sprint faster. With their curved black horns, white patches along the neck, and dramatic eyelashes, these ungulates (hooved mammals) exude intensity. Otherworldly, ancient creatures, they seem to have time traveled from another era. In fact, they pretty much did!What do you mean by time travel?Pronghorn are essentially the last of their kind, having evolved at least 12,000 years ago, when a dazzling array of megafauna roamed…

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