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Antilocapra americana


Antilocapra americana
Photo Information
Copyright: Natalka Melnycky (nat) Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 12 W: 0 N: 24] (82)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-07-13
Categories: Mammals
Exposure: f/4.9, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2010-04-10 23:44
Viewed: 3461
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Pronghorn antelope, the last wide-ranging native mammal on the North American prairies, is found nowhere else in the world. It has no other close relatives and bears no relationship to the African antelope. As the only remaining member of the family Antilocapra, Antilocapra americana is a truly unique member of the grasslands, steppes, foothills and deserts of North America, from Saskatchewan and Alberta south to Sonora, Baja California in Mexico. In Canada, it makes its home on the western mixed grass and short-grass prairies, although Pronghorns were once found as far east as the edge of the tall grass prairie in Manitoba.

Standing almost three feet tall at the shoulders, this small, fleet-footed hoofed mammal is the fastest land mammal in the New World, reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour. In fact the Pronghorn antelope is the second-fastest mammal in the world, after the cheetah. The Pronghorn gets its name for its horns, which consist of a bony core with a keratinous sheath that it sheds each year. In the males, the horns are pronged and can grow up to one foot in length, while in females they are rarely pronged and often not longer than their ears. Pronghorns’ primary diet consists of forage, browse plants and cacti.

Although both males and females share the characteristic reddish-brown or tan fur with a white stomach and chest, males are also distinguishable by the black markings on the lower jaw below the eye and a black mask on the muzzle. When startled, the white hairs on the Pronghorn’s rump will stand erect to produce a flash of bright hair that is visible for many miles in the prairie sunlight. Pronghorns’ ranges are often affected by fences barring their way. Although they refuse to jump over them, the animals may crawl under wire fences when there is room. Bands of migrating Pronghorns are sometimes trapped by them.

Information taken from the Nature Conservancy of Canada
http://www.natureconservancy.ca/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8295&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=sk_ncc_
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Nat,
Great shot! Composition is brilliant. Learned quite a bit from the note as well.
TFS,
Jeff

Hello Nat,

This is has a wonderful atmosphere, I liked it, , may be little more horizontal composition would have been better.

beautiful pic, great composition, TFS Ori

This is a really nice image, most people won't understand it and that is probably why not too many comments on this. I like how the image suggest openess with lots of space surrounding it's sole subject of the pronghorn, especially with the multiple bands of horizontal colors that abruptly meet. It look as though it were resting there for a bit. Very nice Nat.

  • Great 
  • pirate Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 798 W: 152 N: 1186] (7474)
  • [2011-06-12 12:07]

Very nice indeed Nat
and a good example that compo is much more important than having a big telelens
tfs
Tom

Hi natalka,
impressive scenery with these vast plains.
regards
Pierre

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