Pronghorn

Today Ivor eluded me. I had wanted to see him and Jonathan before they left for Washington, but a dentist's appointment that went too long delayed me, and by the time I got to the office, they were gone!

In honor of Ivor's swift escape from the DC area, Ivor is a pronghorn antelope. The second fastest land animal on Earth, the pronghorn vastly outruns any other animal on the American continents, reaching speeds over 60 mph - faster than my mother drives on the highway.

Evolutionary theorists have suggested that the pronghorn adapted to run so fast in order to escape predators that are now extinct, like the saber-toothed tiger. Others suggest that it is a way for males to show off when competing for mates. It may be some of both. In any case, we know that Ivor is a speed machine today. Or perhaps he would be, if Jonathan (or any of the rest of us) could keep up!

Mountain Goat

Today is a sad day for me. I'm posting Ivor's animal in the absence of Ivor, Jonathan, AND Amy. I feel like I'm alone in the world.

In honor of Ivor's move to Seattle, Ivor is a nimble mountain goat. Native to the Northwest, Ivor is able to navigate rocky terrain and climb slopes as steep as 60 degrees - that is, he would if he didn't have arthritis now. This helps him keep above the timberline on mountains, thus avoiding predators. He has dense, thick fur that he molts every Spring and Summer - which is why we've been having so much fun pulling clumps of shedded hair off of him. Most of his life consists of eating and lying down.

Ivor also shares his name today with one of Sam's favorite bands, The Mountain Goats.