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72-1054: The eastern areas are dominated by large stands of ponderosa pine surrounded by grasslands, which are often leased to local ranchers for cattle grazing. Since 2014, the Custer and Gallatin National Forests are managed together as the Custer-Gallatin National Forest with headquarters in Bozeman, Montana . There are local ranger district offices located in Ashland and Red Lodge in Montana, and in Camp Crook in South Dakota for Custer, and West Yellowstone , Livingston , Gardiner , and Bozeman in Montana for Gallatin. The western sections have

144-649: A Scottish nurseryman. It was adopted as the official state tree of Montana in 1949. Pinus ponderosa is a large coniferous pine ( evergreen ) tree. The bark helps distinguish it from other species. Mature to overmature individuals have yellow to orange-red bark in broad to very broad plates with black crevices. Younger trees have blackish-brown bark, referred to as "blackjacks" by early loggers. Ponderosa pine's five subspecies , as classified by some botanists, can be identified by their characteristically bright-green needles (contrasting with blue-green needles that distinguish Jeffrey pine ). The Pacific subspecies has

216-533: A Sheep he is more like the Antilope or Gazelle of Africa than any other Species of Goat. The pronghorn was first officially described by American ornithologist George Ord in 1815. Pronghorns have distinct white fur on their rumps , sides, breasts, bellies, and across their throats. Adult males are 1.3–1.5 m (4 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) long from nose to tail, stand 81–104 cm (2 ft 8 in – 3 ft 5 in) high at

288-469: A day; this continues even when the fawn joins a nursery . The females nurse, groom, and lead their young to food and water, as well as keep predators away from them. Females usually nurse the young about three times a day. Males are weaned 2–3 weeks earlier than females. Sexual maturity is reached at 15 to 16 months, though males rarely breed until three years old. Their lifespan is typically up to 10 years, rarely 15 years. In regions inhabited by

360-896: A few localized populations, due to bluetongue disease which is spread from sheep, but the overall trend has been positive. Pronghorn migration corridors are threatened by habitat fragmentation and the blocking of traditional routes. In a migration study conducted by Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation and the Wildlife Conservation Society , at one point, the migration corridor bottlenecks to an area only 200 yards wide. Pronghorns are now quite numerous, and outnumbered people in Wyoming and parts of northern Colorado until just recently. They are legally hunted in western states for purposes of population control and food. No major range-wide threats exist, although localized declines are taking place, particularly to

432-530: A fixed territory that females may enter, or defend a harem of females. A pronghorn may change mating strategies depending on environmental or demographic conditions. Where precipitation is high, adult males tend to be territorial and maintain their territories with scent marking , vocalizing , and challenging intruders. In these systems, territorial males have access to better resources than bachelor males. Females also employ different mating strategies. "Sampling" females visit several males and remain with each for

504-497: A forward-pointing tine , unlike the horns of species from the ox family Bovidae . Pronghorns were first seen and described by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, the species was not formally recorded or scrutinized until the expedition in 1804-06 by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark . Following the discovery of a few subspecies of the sharp-tailed grouse , Lewis and Clark came across

576-504: A higher level of physical activity than females and apparently also have a greater blood volume relative to body size. Pronghorns are built for speed, not for jumping. Since their ranges are sometimes affected by sheep ranchers' fences, they can be seen going under fences, sometimes at high speed. For this reason, the Arizona Antelope Foundation and others are in the process of removing the bottom barbed wire from

648-851: A letter to fellow member Grinnell, wrote, "Personally, I think that the antelope are doomed, yet every attempt should be made to save them." Although the club had begun their efforts to save the pronghorn in 1910 by funding and restocking the Wichita Game Refuge in Oklahoma , the National Bison Range in Montana , and the Wind Cave National Park , in South Dakota , most of the efforts were doomed since experience demonstrated that after initial increases

720-405: A male pronghorn approaches her while softly vocalizing and waving his head side to side, displaying his cheek patches. The scent glands on the pronghorn are on either side of the jaw, between the hooves, and on the rump. A receptive female remains motionless, sniffs his scent gland, and then allows the male to mount her. Pronghorns have a gestation period of 7–8 months, which is longer than

792-488: A message to other pronghorns by both sight and smell about a present danger. This scent has been observed by humans 20 to 30 meters downwind from alarmed animals. The major odour compound identified from this gland is 2-pyrrolidinone. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the pronghorn was particularly abundant in the regions west of the Mississippi River (still its primary range today). Pronghorn herds filled

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864-501: A mixture of pine , spruce and fir trees due to the increased altitude and more abundant rainfall. Higher altitudes deep into the wilderness areas are above timberline and alpine conditions prevail. The tallest mountain in Montana, Granite Peak , is shared with Gallatin National Forest , as is the interesting Grasshopper Glacier , which has millions of grasshoppers that died approximately 300 years ago, entombed within

936-432: A ponderosa. Various animals nest in the ponderosa pines, such as the piliated woodpecker . Pinus ponderosa is affected by Armillaria , Phaeolus schweinitzii , Fomes pini , Atropellis canker , dwarf mistletoe , Polyporus anceps , Verticicladiella , Elytroderma needle cast , and western gall rust . Pinus ponderosa is classed as a " wilding pine " and spreads as an invasive species throughout

1008-837: A portion of Beartooth National Forest , which now comprises the Beartooth District. Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa , commonly known as the ponderosa pine , bull pine , blackjack pine , western yellow-pine , or filipinus pine , is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America . It is the most widely distributed pine species in North America. Pinus ponderosa grows in various erect forms from British Columbia southward and eastward through 16 western U.S. states and has been introduced in temperate regions of Europe and in New Zealand. It

1080-700: A pronghorn refuge. This donation was contingent upon the government's adding 30,000 acres of surrounding public lands. On June 20, 1929, United States President Herbert Hoover included the required public lands upon request of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior after learning that the Boone and Crockett Club and the National Audubon Society were underwriting the private land buyout. On January 26, 1931, Hoover signed

1152-469: A sharp point. Sources differ on the scent of P. ponderosa . Some state that the bark smells of turpentine , which could reflect the dominance of terpenes (alpha- and beta-pinenes, as well as delta-3-carene). Others state that it has no distinctive scent, while still others state that the bark smells like vanilla if sampled from a furrow. Sources agree that the Jeffrey pine is more strongly scented than

1224-535: A short time before switching to the next male at an increasing rate as estrous approaches. "Inciting" females behave as samplers until estrous, and then incite conflicts between males, watching and then mating with the winners. Before fighting, males try to intimidate each other. If intimidation fails, they lock horns and try to injure each other. "Quiet" females remain with a single male in an isolated area throughout estrous. Females continue this mating behavior for two to three weeks. When courting an estrous female,

1296-666: A small patch of black hair at the angle of the mandible . Pronghorns have a distinct, musky odor. Males mark territory with a preorbital scent gland which is on the sides of the head. The major chemical component in this gland's secretion is the highly odoriferous compound, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine. This compound is also the major volatile component found on the animal's back in the male's medial gland. Pronghorns have well developed glands on each hoof. Like many ungulates, these interdigital (hoof) glands of pronghorn contain chemical compounds that are known to have antimicrobial activity against soil and mammalian pathogens. The pronghorn

1368-493: A solution to treat coughs and fevers. In the 19th and 20th centuries, old-growth trees were widely used by settlers as lumber, including for railroads. Younger trees are of poor quality for lumber due to the tendency to warp. Cultivated as a bonsai , ponderosas are prized for their rough, flaky bark, contorted trunks, flexible limbs, and dramatic deadwood. Collected specimens can be wildly sculpted by their environment, resulting in beautiful twisted trunks, limbs and deadwood. In

1440-429: A vital ecological niche of the prairie habitat, as well as other climatic zones. The amount of wildlife was considered to be so vast at one time that the prehistoric American Prairie—and as recently as 200 to 300 years ago—has been dubbed the "American Serengeti", due to the once-millions-strong herds of bison , elk , hundreds of thousands of pronghorn, as well as other now-extinct megafauna . The present-day range of

1512-634: A water source. The majority are found within 5 mi (8 km) of a water source. An ongoing study by the Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation and the Wildlife Conservation Society shows an overland migration route that covers more than 260 km (160 mi). The migrating pronghorn start travel from the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains through Craters of the Moon National Monument to

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1584-442: A wide variety of plant foods, often including plants unpalatable or toxic to domestic livestock , though they also compete with them for food. In one study, forbs comprised 62% of their diet, shrubs 23%, and grasses 15%, while in another, cacti comprised 40%, grass 22%, forbs 20%, and shrubs 18%. Pronghorns also chew and eat (ruminate) cud . Healthy pronghorn populations tend to stay within 5.0–6.5 km (3–4 mi) of

1656-478: Is 0.0.3.3 3.1.3.3 . Unlike deer , pronghorns possess a gallbladder . Each horn of the pronghorn is composed of a slender, laterally flattened blade of bone which is thought to grow from the frontal bones of the skull, or from the subcutaneous tissues of the scalp, forming a permanent core. As in the Giraffidae , skin covers the bony cores, but in the pronghorn, it develops into a keratinous sheath which

1728-720: Is Pinus ponderosa var. washoensis . An additional variety, tentatively named P. p. var. willamettensis , found in the Willamette Valley in western Oregon, is rare. This is likely just one of the many islands of Pacific subspecies of ponderosa pine occurring in the Willamette Valley and extending north to the southeast end of Puget Sound in Washington. The subspecies of P. ponderosa can be distinguished by measurements along several dimensions: Notes Names of taxa and transition zones are on

1800-404: Is shed and regrown annually. Males have a horn sheath about 12.5–43 cm (5–17 in) (average 25 cm or 10 in) long with a prong. Females have smaller horns that range from 3–15 cm (1–6 in) (average 12 cm or 4 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) and sometimes barely visible; they are straight and very rarely pronged. Males are further differentiated from females in having

1872-628: Is characterized by the fewest needles (1.4 per whorl, on average); stout, upright branches at narrow angles from the trunk; and long green needles— 5 + 3 ⁄ 4 –7 in (14.8–17.9 cm)—extending farthest along the branch, resembling a fox tail. Needles are widest, stoutest, and fewest (averaging 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 – 2 + 3 ⁄ 4  in or 56–71 mm) for the species. The egg-shaped cones, which are often found in great number under trees, are 3–5 in (8–13 cm) long. They are purple when first chewed off by squirrels, but become more brown and spherical as they dry. Each scale has

1944-771: Is generally associated with mountainous topography. However, it is found on banks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska. Scattered stands occur in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and in the Okanagan Valley and Puget Sound areas of Washington. Stands occur throughout low level valleys in British Columbia reaching as far north as the Thompson, Fraser and Columbia watersheds. In its Northern limits, it only grows below 4,300 feet (1,300 m) elevation, but

2016-404: Is introduced in sapwood of P. ponderosa from the galleries of all species in the genus Dendroctonus ( mountain pine beetle ), which has caused much damage. Western pine and other beetles can be found consuming the bark. The seeds are eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, quail, grouse, and Clark's nutcracker , while mule deer browse the seedlings. American black bears can climb up to 12 feet up

2088-828: Is known colloquially in North America as the American antelope , prong buck , pronghorn antelope and prairie antelope , because it closely resembles the antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to parallel evolution . It is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae . During the Pleistocene epoch, about 11 other antilocaprid species existed in North America, many with long or spectacularly-twisted horns. Three other genera ( Capromeryx , Stockoceros and Tetrameryx ) existed when humans entered North America but are now extinct . The pronghorn's closest living relatives are

2160-647: Is most common below 2,600 feet (800 m). Ponderosa covers 1 million acres (4,000 km ), or 80%, of the Black Hills of South Dakota . It is found on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central, and southern Rocky Mountains , in the Cascade Range , in the Sierra Nevada , and in the maritime-influenced Coast Range . In Arizona , it predominates on the Mogollon Rim and

2232-482: Is not very hard and forks 2 ⁄ 3 up one prong Short the other round & Sharp arched, and is immediately above its Eyes the Color is a light gray with black behind its ears down the neck, and its face white round its neck, its Sides and its rump round its tail which is Short & white; Verry actively made, has only a pair of hoofs to each foot, his brains on the back of his head, his Nostrals large, his eyes like

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2304-539: Is scattered on the Mogollon Plateau and on mid-height peaks (6,000 to 9,300 feet; 1,800 to 2,800 m) in Arizona and New Mexico . Arizona pine ( P. arizonica ), found primarily in the mountains of extreme southwestern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and northern Mexico and sometimes classified as a variety of ponderosa pine, is presently recognized as a separate species. Ponderosa pine are also found in

2376-476: Is the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere , being built for maximum predator evasion through running. The top speed is dependent upon the length of time over which it is measured. It can run 56 km/h (35 mph) for 6.5 km (4 mi), 68 km/h (42 mph) for 1.5 km (1 mi), and 88.5 km/h (55 mph) for 800 m (0.5 mi). Although it is slower than

2448-402: Is to form a large, strong pen or fold, from which a fence made of bushes gradually widens on each side. The animals are surrounded by the hunters, and gently driven towards this pen, in which they imperceptibly find themselves enclosed, and are then at the mercy of the hunters. At the turn of the 20th century, members of the wildlife conservation group Boone and Crockett Club had determined that

2520-488: Is typical for North American ungulates. They breed in mid-September, and the doe carries her fawn until late May. The gestation period is around six weeks longer than that of the white-tailed deer . Females usually bear within a few days of each other. Twin fawns are common. Newborn pronghorns weigh 2–4 kg (4–9 lb), most commonly 3 kg (7 lb). In their first 21–26 days, fawns spend time hiding in vegetation. Fawns interact with their mothers for 20–25 minutes

2592-580: The Chisos , Davis , and Guadalupe Mountains of Texas , at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet (1,200 and 2,400 m). The fire cycle for ponderosa pine is 5 to 10 years, in which a natural ignition sparks a low-intensity fire. Low, once-a-decade fires are known to have helped specimens live for half a millennium or more. The tree has thick bark, and its buds are protected by needles, allowing even some younger individuals to survive weaker fires. In addition to being adapted to dry, fire-affected areas,

2664-821: The Continental Divide . Dr. Scott Bergen of the Wildlife Conservation Society says "This study shows that pronghorn are the true marathoners of the American West. With these new findings, we can confirm that Idaho supports a major overland mammal migration - an increasingly rare phenomenon in the U.S. and worldwide." Cougars ( Puma concolor ), wolves ( Canis lupus ), coyotes ( Canis latrans ), grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) and bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) are major predators of pronghorns. Golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ) have been reported to prey on fawns and adults. Jaguars ( Panthera onca ) also likely prey on pronghorns in their native range in

2736-662: The Natural Trap Cave found that while American cheetahs seemed to subsist on pronghorns, they did not do so exclusively. In fact, pronghorns were also important prey of American lions and wolves. Compared to its body size, the pronghorn has a large windpipe , heart, blood volume, erythrocites and lungs to allow it to take in large amounts of air when running. Additionally, pronghorn hooves have two long, cushioned, pointed toes which help absorb shock when running at high speeds. They also have an extremely light bone structure and hollow hair . Male pronghorn tend to have

2808-617: The Plains Indians tribes, as well as the Northwest Plateau , pronghorn was hunted as a principal food source by the local people. The pronghorn has also featured prominently in Native American mythology and oral history. Merriwether Lewis and William Clark made several other observations on the behavior of the pronghorn and how the local tribes hunted them. They described the animal, which they referred to as

2880-504: The Sonoran pronghorn , mainly as a result of livestock grazing, the construction of roads, fences, and other barriers that prevent access to historical habitat, illegal hunting, insufficient forage and water, and lack of recruitment . Three subspecies are considered endangered in all ( A. a. sonoriensis , A. a. peninsularis ), or part of their ranges ( A. a. mexicana ). The Sonoran pronghorn has an estimated population of fewer than 300 in

2952-515: The U.S. Forest Service as Otter National Forest on March 2, 1907. On July 1, 1908 the name was changed to Custer. On January 13, 1920 the entire Sioux National Forest was added, which now comprises the Sioux Ranger District of Custer, extending into South Dakota. Sioux had previously absorbed Cave Hills , Ekalaka , Long Pine , Short Pine and Slim Buttes National Forests on July 1, 1908. On February 17, 1932 Custer absorbed

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3024-550: The United States Forest Service and transported to Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site , where they were planted into the ground and exposed to a nuclear blast to see what the blast wave would do to a forest. The trees were partially burned and blown over. Pinus ponderosa is the official state tree of Montana. In a 1908 poll to determine the state tree, Montana schoolchildren chose the tree over

3096-523: The giraffe and okapi . The Antilocaprids are part of the infraorder Pecora , making them distant relatives of deer , bovids , and moschids . The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the Americas, with running speeds of up to 88.5 km/h (55 mph). It is the symbol of the American Society of Mammalogists . The animal gets its name from its horn sheaths that branch and have

3168-574: The "Antelope" or the "Goat", as follows: Of all the animals we have seen the Antelope seems to possess the most wonderful fleetness. Shy and timorous they generally repose only on the ridges, which command a view of all the approaches of an enemy ... When they first see the hunters they run with great velocity ... The Indians near the Rocky Mountains hunt these animals on horseback, and shoot them with arrows. The Mandans ' mode of hunting them

3240-482: The African cheetah , it can sustain top speeds much longer than cheetahs. The pronghorn may have evolved its running ability to escape from now-extinct predators such as the American cheetah , since its speed greatly exceeds that of all extant North American predators. Carbon and nitrogen isotope comparisons between pronghorn, horses, Bighorn sheep , bison , American cheetahs, American lions , and wolves of

3312-585: The Douglas fir, American larch, and cottonwood. However, the tree was not officially named the state tree until 1949. Pronghorn A. a. americana A. a. mexicana A. a. oregona A. a. peninsularis A. a. sonoriensis The pronghorn ( UK : / ˈ p r ɒ ŋ h ɔːr n / , US : / ˈ p r ɔː ŋ -/ ) ( Antilocapra americana ) is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America . Though not an antelope , it

3384-590: The Rocky Mountain pronghorn ( A. a. americana ), Mexican pronghorn ( A. a. mexicana ), the Oregon pronghorn ( A. a. oregona ), and the critically endangered Baja California pronghorn ( A. a. peninsularis ). Pronghorns prefer open, expansive terrain at elevations varying between 900 and 1,800 m (3,000 and 5,900 ft), with the densest populations in areas receiving around 250–400 mm (10– 15 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) of rainfall per year. They eat

3456-736: The United States and 200–500 in Mexico, while there are approximately 200 Peninsula pronghorn in Baja California. Populations of the Sonoran pronghorn in Arizona and Mexico are protected under the Endangered Species Act (since 1967), and a recovery plan for this subspecies has been prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mexican animals are listed on CITES Appendix I. Pronghorns have game-animal status in all of

3528-417: The acreage lies in South Dakota. A relatively rare type of small falcon known as the merlin is found here in greater concentrations than anywhere else in the United States. Mammalian species of coyote , bighorn sheep , marmot , mule deer , wolf packs, grizzly bear , moose , bobcat , pronghorn , cougar , mountain goat , black bear , elk , and bison . Custer National Forest was established by

3600-503: The central coastal grasslands, further south. In Mexico , the Sonoran pronghorn ( A. a. sonoriensis ) subspecies may be found from the state of Baja California Sur east through Sonora to San Luis Potosí , in north-central regions of the country, albeit in gradually diminishing populations. They have been extirpated from Iowa and Minnesota in the United States, and from Manitoba in Canada. Other regional subspecies include

3672-494: The executive order for the refuge. On December 31, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order creating a 222,000-hectare (549,000-acre) tract; this was the true beginning for pronghorn recovery in North America. The protection of habitat and hunting restrictions have allowed pronghorn numbers to recover to an estimated population between 500,000 and 1,000,000 since the 1930s. Some recent decline has occurred in

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3744-486: The extinction of the pronghorn was likely. In a letter from George Bird Grinnell , Boone and Crockett Club chairman of the game preservation committee, to Walter L. Fisher , Secretary of the Interior , Grinnell stated, "The Club is much concerned about the fate of the pronghorn which appears to be everywhere rapidly diminishing." By the 1920s, hunting pressure had reduced the pronghorn population to about 13,000. Boone and Crockett Club member Charles Alexander Sheldon , in

3816-441: The fences, and/or installing a barbless bottom wire. The pronghorn has been observed to have at least 13 distinct gaits , including one reaching nearly 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) per stride. When a pronghorn sees something that alarms it, the white hair on the rump flairs open and exposes two highly odoriferous glands that releases a compound described as having an odour "reminiscent of buttered popcorn." This sends

3888-648: The forest as the Grand River , Cedar River , Little Missouri and Sheyenne National Grasslands . These units are now managed as the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, headquartered in Bismarck, ND. There are over 30 vehicle accessible campgrounds in the forest, as well as numerous picnic areas. Over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of hiking trails are available with most being found in the western district. Though not plentiful with rivers and lakes,

3960-514: The high country of New Zealand, where it is beginning to take over, causing the native species of plants not to be able to grow in those locations. It is also considered a "weed" in parts of Australia. Native Americans consumed the seeds and sweet inner bark. They chewed the dried pitch, which was also used as a salve. They used the limbs and branches as firewood and building material, and the trunks were carved into canoes. The needles and roots were made into baskets. The needles were also boiled into

4032-630: The ice. Within the forest are Native American burial grounds, pictographs and petroglyphs . For the plains Indians , the forest provided shelter and a stable food supply. Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition are generally considered to be the first white Americans to visit the region. The forest is currently divided into three Ranger Districts: Beartooth in Red Lodge, Montana ; Ashland in Ashland, Montana ; and Sioux in Camp Crook, South Dakota . Four National Grasslands were formerly managed by

4104-719: The longest— 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches (19.8 centimetres)—and most flexible needles in plume-like fascicles of three. The Columbia ponderosa pine has long— 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 –8 in (12–20.5 cm)—and relatively flexible needles in fascicles of three. The Rocky Mountains subspecies has shorter— 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 5 + 3 ⁄ 4  in (9.2–14.4 cm)—and stout needles growing in scopulate (bushy, tuft-like) fascicles of two or three. The southwestern subspecies has 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 7 + 3 ⁄ 4  in (11.2–19.8 cm), stout needles in fascicles of three (averaging 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 3 + 1 ⁄ 2  in or 68.5–89 millimetres). The central High Plains subspecies

4176-456: The map. Numbers in columns were derived from multiple measurements of samples taken from 10 (infrequently fewer) trees on a varying number of geographically dispersed plots. Numbers in each cell show calculated mean ± standard error and number of plots. Pinus ponderosa is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association, the ponderosa shrub forest . Like most western pines, the ponderosa

4248-435: The mountains they can be found growing in pockets in the rock, stunting their growth. The main challenge for this species in bonsai cultivation is the natural long length of its needles, which takes years of training and care to reduce. This species is grown as an ornamental plant in parks and large gardens. During Operation Upshot–Knothole in 1953, a nuclear test was performed in which 145 ponderosa pines were cut down by

4320-428: The ponderosa pine previously considered the world's tallest pine tree. Modern forestry research has identified five different taxa of P. ponderosa , with differing botanical characters and adaptations to different climatic conditions. Four of these have been termed "geographic races" in forestry literature. Some botanists historically treated some races as distinct species. In modern botanical usage, they best match

4392-557: The ponderosa pine. When carved into, pitch -filled stumps emit a scent of fresh pitch. The National Register of Big Trees lists a ponderosa pine that is 235 ft (72 metres) tall and 27 ft (8.2 m) in circumference. In January 2011, a Pacific ponderosa pine in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon was measured with a laser to be 268 ft 4 in (81.79 m) high. The measurement

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4464-551: The pronghorn is generally west of the Mississippi, extending from southern Saskatchewan and Alberta , Canada south into the western US , primarily in the states of Arizona , Colorado , Idaho , Kansas , Montana , Nebraska , Nevada , New Mexico , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Oregon , South Dakota , Texas , Utah , Washington and Wyoming . In extreme Northern California , pronghorn can be found in inland counties, ranging from neighboring Nevada and Oregon, as well as

4536-526: The pronghorn near the mouth of the Niobrara River , in present-day Nebraska . Clark was among the first Euro-Americans to publish the experience of killing a pronghorn, and described his experience as follows: I walked on shore to find an old Vulcanoe [the Ionia Volcano ?] ... in my walk I killed a Buck Goat of this Countrey, about the height of the Grown Deer, its body Shorter the horns which

4608-566: The pronghorns would die off because of the fenced enclosures. In 1927, Grinnell spearheaded efforts along with the help of T. Gilbert Pearson of Grinnell's National Audubon Society to create the Charles Alexander Sheldon Antelope Refuge in northern Nevada . About 2900 acres of land were jointly purchased by the two organizations and subsequently turned over to the Biological Survey as

4680-529: The rank of subspecies and have been formally published. Distributions of the subspecies in the United States are shown in shadow on the map. Distribution of ponderosa pine is from Critchfield and Little. The closely related five-needled Arizona pine ( Pinus arizonica ) extends southward into Mexico. Before the distinctions between the North Plateau and Pacific races were fully documented, most botanists assumed that ponderosa pines in both areas were

4752-484: The same. In 1948, when a botanist and a geneticist from California found a distinct tree on Mt. Rose in western Nevada with some marked differences from the ponderosa pine they knew in California, they described it as a new species, Washoe pine Pinus washoensis . Subsequent research determined this to be one of the southernmost outliers of the typical North Plateau race of ponderosa pine. Its current classification

4824-428: The shoulder, and weigh 40–65 kg (88–143 lb). The females are the same height as males, but weigh 34–48 kg (75–106 lb). The feet have two hooves , with no dewclaws . Their body temperature is 38 °C (100 °F). They have very large eyes with a 320° field of vision . Their orbits (eye sockets) are prominent and set high on the skull. Their teeth are hypsodont , and their dental formula

4896-620: The southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. In the Pleistocene , jaguars would likely be dangerous to pronghorns as a short-range ambush predator. Pronghorns form mixed-sex herds in the winter. In early spring, the herds break up, with young males forming bachelor groups, females forming harems , and adult males living solitarily. Some female bands share the same summer range, and bachelor male bands form between spring and fall. Females form dominance hierarchies with few circular relationships. Dominant females aggressively displace other females from feeding sites. Adult males either defend

4968-455: The species often appears on the edges of deserts as it is comparatively drought resistant, partly due to the ability to close its leaf pores. It can also draw some of its water from sandy soils. Despite being relatively widespread in the American West, it is intolerant of shade . Pinus ponderosa needles are the only known food of the caterpillars of the gelechiid moth Chionodes retiniella . Blue stain fungus , Grosmannia clavigera ,

5040-687: The waterways do provide some opportunities for fishing but little for boating. The forest headquarters is located in Billings, Montana , and most hiking and camping is done in the region south and southwest of Billings. There are local ranger district offices in Ashland and Red Lodge in Montana, and in Camp Crook in South Dakota. In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Powder River , Carbon , Stillwater , Rosebud , Carter , Sweet Grass , Harding (the only county in South Dakota), and Park counties. Only about 6.2% of

5112-420: Was first documented in modern science in 1826 in eastern Washington near present-day Spokane (of which it is the official city tree). On that occasion, David Douglas misidentified it as Pinus resinosa (red pine). In 1829, Douglas concluded that he had a new pine among his specimens and coined the name Pinus ponderosa for its heavy wood. In 1836, it was formally named and described by Charles Lawson ,

5184-487: Was performed by Michael Taylor and Mario Vaden, a professional arborist from Oregon . The tree was climbed on October 13, 2011, by Ascending The Giants (a tree-climbing company in Portland, Oregon ) and directly measured with tape-line at 268 ft 3 in (81.77 m) high. As of 2015, a Pinus lambertiana specimen was measured at 273 ft 9 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (83.45 m), which surpassed

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