Pronghorn are striking in appearance, with a tan body and sharply contrasting white markings on the head and neck. The belly and lower sides are creamy white and the short tail is surrounded by a large white rump patch. Unlike does, a buck's nose is dark, brownish-black and he has a triangular black patch on each cheek. Pronghorn eyes are unusually large, about 2 inches in diameter, and are set well out on the sides of the head. This allows a wide field of vision.
Biologists believe pronghorn vision is roughly equal to looking through eight-power binoculars.
Whether or not this is true, they usually see you before you see them. Pronghorn hair is very brittle and is shed throughout the year. During extreme weather conditions, the hollow hair provides excellent insulation. Pronghorn hair is also used as an alarm signal. By erecting the white rump hair, a pronghorn alerts the herd of possible danger.