The Fastest Land Animal on the Continent is Native to Colorado

Colorado is home to a variety of wildlife, including one species that carries the distinction of being the fastest land animal in all of North America.

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This animal goes by numerous monikers but its most accurate name is the pronghorn.

Colorado is Home to the Fastest Land Animal in North America

Scientifically known as Antilocapra americana, the pronghorn, often called the American antelope, the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, prairie antelope, and hilariously, the speed goat, isn't actually an antelope, or for that matter, a goat, at all.

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While pronghorns are known to live in a variety of environments across Colorado including the mountains, valleys, and the shrublands of the Western Slope, they are most commonly found on the state's eastern plains.

They are typically spotted in groups of up to 12 specimen and have been known to be seen across Colorado virtually any time of year.

How Fast Are Colorado's Pronghorns?

An adult pronghorn can run at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, making them the fastest land animal in North America. In fact, the pronghorn has even been called the fastest land animal in all of the Western Hemisphere.

This figure is only dwarfed by the cheetah, which is said to reach running speeds of up to 75 miles per hour, making the pronghorn the second-fastest land animal in the world.

Learn more about the pronghorn and their role as the fastest land animal in Colorado by checking out further information from Colorado Parks and Wildlife here.