Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)

Admired by Lewis and Clark for their speed and endurance, the pronghorn can power across prairies and deserts at speeds clocking 60 mph. As the only antelope-like species on the North American continent, the pronghorn is also economically important. Pronghorn hunting contributes over $9 million annually to New Mexico’s economy alone. Yet in the arid Southwest, North America’s fastest land mammal is in decline – and drought may be partially to blame. Scientists with the USGS National Climate Change & Wildlife Science Center are examining whether changes in temperature and precipitation are linked to pronghorn population declines and modeling how the region’s pronghorn will fare under future climate conditions.