PENINSULAR PRONGHORN

The Peninsular Pronghorn, endemic mammal from Mexico belonging to the antilocapra species, lives mainly in the Baja California Peninsula, in the desert area of El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in the municipality of Mulege.

The Pronghorn – bicolor animal- lives up to 10 years approx., with a size of 1.5 mts long and 90cms high, weights between 55 and 70 kg and is perfectly equipped to live in the desert. The pronghorn has a kind of special fur, that is long, thick and hollow, with the unique characteristic that the animal can move and raise its hair (thanks to a layer of subcutaneous muscles) depending on the weather and temperatures it is exposed to; for example, it can endure very high temperatures dispelling the heat by creating, with its own hair, a shade over its own skin.

The Peninsular Pronghorn plays an important role for the ecosystem since its excrement carries several kinds of seeds that germinate through all the territory the pronghorn covers, keeping the vegetation of the area in balance.

The Pronghorn played also a leading role in the Peninsula´s coastal plains, which can be confirmed by the cave paintings that show how important this species was for the ancient inhabitants of this region.

Today, there are a number of programs for the protection and conservation of the Peninsular Pronghorn, which is a species in danger of extinction.

On Ruta 1, it is possible to take a detour and hire the services of authorized operators that can take you on a Peninsular Pronghorn watching safari.