The next time you are at Grand Teton National Park keep a lookout for their resident Pronghorn which hold the distinction as the fastest land animal in North America and the second fastest land animal in the world. These little speedsters can run at an incredible 60 miles per hour and the reason why may come as a surprise.
The North American pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is the surviving member of a group of animals that evolved in North America during the past 20 million years. It is not a true antelope (which are found in Africa and southeast Asia) but use of the term “antelope” apparently originated when the first written description of the animal was made during the 1804–1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The pronghorn evolved on the open plains and prairies, where few obstacles provided cover from predators like the now-extinct North American cheetah, which likely exerted intense selective pressure for speed. The pronghorn is well adapted for outrunning its long extinct enemies with its oversized windpipe and heart allowing large amounts of oxygen and blood to be carried to and from its unusually large lungs. While the North American cheetah may only exist in fossil form, this blazing fast speed still serves the pronghorn well in evading modern day enemies like coyotes, bobcats, wolves, bears, and golden eagles.
Additionally, pronghorn have unique two-toed hooves with cushioned pads providing traction and shock absorption on varied terrain. These adaptations, honed over millions of years make pronghorns the fastest land animals in the Western Hemisphere. Grand Teton National Park recently highlighted what makes their pronghorn population so incredible, here’s how they framed it:
Grand Teton National Park:
Oh, this animal? Yeah, it’s just the fastest land animal in North America and second fastest land animal in the world.
We’re not trying to brag or anything (ok, maybe just a little) but the pronghorn is extraordinary. Why? We’re glad you asked…
Fast facts about fast feet…er high-speed hooves. GO!
Speed: can reach speeds of 55-60 miles per hour (and sustain that over long distances)
Outlived the Competition: With no modern day predators that can run that fast, pronghorn evolved to be so speedy because they lived alongside the now extinct North American cheetah from the Pleistocene epoch.
Epic Journey: The Sublette Herd migrates over 100 miles between Grand Teton and the Green River Valley—one of the longest land migrations in North America. It’s called the Path of the Pronghorn.
Sound the Horn! They have horns that don’t shed (like bison) but shed the outer sheath each year. Cool? Weird? both.
Not an antelope. Wait…I thought they were antelope? Nope. While antelope is a commonly used term for pronghorn, they are not actual antelopes. In fact, they are the last surviving member of the family Antilocapridae. Closest living relative? The giraffe! 
So not only is this animal cool, it’s also AWESOME. Remember, when wildlife watching: drive the speed limits, give animals space (100 yards from bears and wolves, 25 yards for everything else), don’t stop in the middle of the road, and don’t feed any critters.
And DON’T try to race the pronghorn. You’ll just embarrass yourself.
Related: National Park Hiker Quickly Realizes Why You Don’t Approach Elk
