Knowledge Hub

Female Pronghorns usually give birth to twins, with young females often giving birth to a single fawn. Pronghorn can reach speeds of 50 mph/80.5 kph and are North America’s fastest mammal.

When alarmed, mule deer bound away with four feet hitting the ground together at each bound. This is called “slotting” and is different from white-tailed deer who spring from hind to front feet.

Unlike most shorebirds, the Upland sandpiper is completely terrestrial, rarely associated with coastal or wetland habitats, an obligate grassland species. As a result, it is often recognized as an indicator of prairie health.

Sage thrashers have a long, melodious flutelike song with a lot of variety in notes. The longest documented song was approximately 22 minutes long! Sage thrashers may also mimic the notes of other birds and have been called “the mockingbird of the sagebrush.”

Adult curlews will vigorously chase and attack potential nest or chick predators including coyotes, raptors, and people. Adults become more aggressive towards predators as their eggs begin to hatch.

Some insects and amphibians are naturally toxic to birds, so shrikes store these toxic animals on thorns or barbed wire for a day or two until the toxins have degraded and the food is safe to eat.

The lesser prairie-chicken has one of the smallest population sizes of grouse species in North America (estimated 28,000 birds) with an estimated decline of 97% from historic numbers. The lesser prairie-chicken is not currently listed for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.