24 MAMMALS OF UTAH 



Family ANTILOCAPRIDAE. Prong-horn Antelopes 



PRONG-HORN ANTELOPE 



ANTILOCAPRA AMERICANA (Ord) 



Antilope americana Ord, Guth. Geog., ed Am. ed., ii, 1815, 



p. 292. 

 Antilocapra americana Elliot, Syn. N. Am. Mamm., F. C. M. 



Pub. ii, 1902, p. 43. 



Description — Color above yellowish brown, or pale 

 dun color; a narrow transverse band between the eyes, the 

 top and sides of the muzzle, and a patch beneath the ear, 

 (wanting in the female) liver brown; edges of upper lip, 

 chin and sides of face, spot behind the ear, a narrow cres- 

 cent on the upper part of the throat, a triangular patch be- 

 low this, the entire under parts and a square patch on the 

 rump, white. Horns, hoofs, and naked parts of the nose, 

 black. Horns rudimentary or wanting in the female. Eye, 

 large and full. Tail, short, almost rudimentary, measuring 

 only a few inches. The young of the species in general have 

 the same markings as the adults ; the brown of a different 

 shade however. (Baird.) The largest buck antelope in the 

 Zoological Park, New York, stands 37V2 inches at the shoul- 

 der; has a head and body length of 47% inches; tail 3V^ 

 inches. (Hornaday.) Seton gives the weight of a four 

 months-old buck as 60 pounds and of a large one as 125 

 pounds. 



* 



Distribution — Originally this animal was found all 

 over Utah ; but it is now fast nearing extinction. Brigham 

 Spencer of Moab says that in 1895 he saw bands of twenty 

 or more on the San Rafael swell, Emery county. He has 

 also seen them in Rabbit valley, Wayne county. Clinton 

 Milne of St. George says that a few antelopes are still on 

 the desert in the vicinity of Antelope Spring, near New- 

 castle, Utah, and there are a few around Rock Canyon, 

 Arizona, about twenty miles southeast of St. George. J. W. 

 Humphrey of Panguitch reports that one solitary antelope 

 was recently seen in Emery valley. William M. Mace of 

 St. George says that a few are found in the Escalante 

 desert north of Enterprise, Utah. C. A. Mattsson of Salina 

 informs me that the bones of antelopes are sometimes found 

 in the mountains of that vicinity, but no live animals have 

 recently been seen. 



Mr. F. A. Wrathall has mounted heads taken in the 

 desert near Cedar City, and fifteen years ago he mounted a 

 head that was taken in Utah, near Wendover. 



