Cheetah is the fastest cat. Cheetah is the fastest predator on earth
The cheetah is a beautiful and graceful animal, which is considered the fastest runner among predators. The hunting method characteristic of the cheetah is very interesting. When you watch a predator chasing game, your heart simply skips a beat at the speed the animal develops. About what a cheetah looks like, how it hunts, how it lives in wildlife, you can find out by reading this article.
Cheetah habitat
Life is very difficult for cheetahs these days. Because of its beautiful skin it was very popular, and the speed at which it runs cannot protect it from the bullets of ruthless hunters.
Now spotted beauties live in the wild in Africa, and in the recent past they could be found in Arabia, India, and Iran. Cheetahs are on the verge of extinction, so that the species does not completely disappear from the face of the Earth, the animals are bred in captivity and protected in natural environment.
Description
The method of hunting characteristic of a cheetah is determined by the structure of the animal’s body; it is aerodynamic. This promotes streamlining while running, which makes it possible to develop higher speed. The muscles are highly developed, there is almost no fat on the body, it is slender and graceful, at first glance it even seems somewhat fragile. In fact, the animal is strong, its distinctive feature is the speed that it develops instantly and uses this during the hunt. We'll talk about the hunting method itself a little later.
Describing the appearance of a cheetah, one cannot fail to note its extraordinary beauty, which is very different from the beauty of others wild cats. The animal's head is small with high-set eyes, enlarged nostrils, small rounded ears and two thin black stripes on the sides of the muzzle. Because of these stripes, it seems that the animal is sad.
The color of the cheetah is sandy-yellow, with small black spots randomly scattered throughout the body. The weight of an adult animal is 45-66 kg, body length is 110-140 cm, the tail is beautiful and long up to 70-82 cm. The claws are partially retractable, this is distinctive feature kind. This feature helps the animal to sharply change direction high speed, which again helps him in the hunt.
Characteristics of the cheetah
In their natural environment, cheetahs live 12-15 years; in captivity they can live up to 20 years. Males have their own territory, which they mark with urine and guard. Females do not have their own territory; they stay alone and simply follow their prey. The beast's lair is open, usually located in thorny thickets, on large termite mounds, under trees or in rocks. Unlike other cats, the cheetah is not clean. He often changes his lair, so he does not have the habit of relieving himself in the same place. In captivity, it is also impossible to accustom him to cleanliness.
The cheetah's hunting method allows it to feast on game such as antelope and zebra, which are quite difficult to catch. These are very agile artiodactyls; not every predator is able to catch up with a healthy antelope on a flat, open area; for a cheetah, on the contrary, the best option. The spotted predator hunts in areas with short grass, as it needs visibility.
Reproduction
Cheetahs form pairs only during mating season, after the rut, the animals disperse, the female herself takes care of the offspring.
Pregnancy lasts three months. There are 2-6 kittens in one litter. Babies are born weak and are easy prey for other predators. Therefore, the mother constantly guards them and often changes the location of the den.
Hunting method typical of the cheetah
Spotted predators have acute vision; to search for prey, they climb to high places and can spot prey at a great distance. The cheetah hunts either in the morning at sunrise or in the evening at dusk; the males can organize hunts together, but the females are solo hunters; they never hunt together.
Having identified the object of prey, the animal throws all its strength into catching it. First, the predator, clinging to the ground, crawls towards the target at a distance of up to 150-200 meters, then rushes forward and, developing incredible speed, catches up with the prey, which has almost no chance of escaping. A cheetah's leap is 6-8 meters; the animal spends half a second on one such throw. This beauty can reach speeds of up to 90-100 km/h in just 3 seconds. You can only run at this pace for a few hundred meters, since a burst of such power requires a huge consumption of oxygen. There have been cases, especially with young animals, when, after running 200-300 meters, the predator lost consciousness and could not come to its senses for a long time. Experienced spotted hunters, if they do not catch their prey within the first hundred of the distance, simply stop chasing and begin to look for a new target.
Having caught up with the prey, the predator hooks it and knocks it down with a blow of its front paw. The inner toe of the paw is armed with a curved sharp claw, at the first blow, this claw makes a deep wound in the body of the game. The cheetah strangles the prey that has been knocked to the ground by the throat, without opening its jaws for 6-8 minutes.
The life of a cheetah in the wild is extremely interesting; I would like to draw your attention to some interesting facts:
- Over short distances, a cheetah can easily outrun a racehorse.
- The spotted cat never eats carrion; when it is full, it leaves the leftovers for birds or jackals. Without even thinking about guarding the carcass until the next meal, the animal leaves forever.
- The predator drinks water only once every three to four days.
- In ancient times, nobles of Assyria and India organized cheetah competitions; this was considered royal entertainment.
- The cheetah is easy to tame. Despite the bloodthirsty hunting instinct, this predator is quite calm and affectionate. Not a single case of a cheetah attacking a person has been recorded.
- Russian princes loved to hunt with a tamed cheetah.
An animal from the cat family with features atypical for a predator has been identified by zoologists as separate species. The cheetah is mentioned in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” - the history of its family is so ancient. The physiology, habits, and rare qualities of the mammal are unique. Cheetah speed running up to 112 km per hour - this is the fastest animal among mammals on earth.
Description and features
You can distinguish cheetahs from other cat species by their unique skin color, lean body, developed muscles, long legs and tail. The predator's body length is approximately 1.5 m, weight - 40-65 kg, height 60-100 cm. Small head with a shortened muzzle.
The ears are short, erect, rounded. The eyes are set high. The limbs are strong, paws with fixed claws, which distinguishes cheetahs from all wild cats. Only cubs up to 4 months from birth can retract their claws, then they lose this ability.
The animal's fur is very short, only the upper part of the neck is decorated with a small tuft of black hair. The cubs have a silvery mane that runs across their entire back. The color of the fur is sandy-yellow tones; dark spots are scattered throughout the entire skin, except for the belly. The size and shape of the specks vary. A characteristic feature of cheetahs are black tear marks - stripes running from the eyes to the mouth.
You can distinguish a cheetah from other spotted cats by two dark stripes on its face.
The appearance of the beast shows signs of a sprinter. While running, the cheetah's aerodynamic body serves to develop record speed. A long tail- an excellent balancer. The animal's lungs are large in volume, which facilitates intense breathing during high-speed running.
Because cheetah is the fastest animal, in the old days, eastern princes used tamed predators to hunt antelopes. Egyptian feudal lords, Central Asian khans, and Indian rajahs also kept entire “packs” of cheetahs.
They were led after the prey with caps over their eyes so that they would not give chase ahead of schedule. During the hunt, the cheetahs did not attempt to kill the captured animals until the princes approached. The sharp claws of the animals held the prey after stunning blows with their paws.
As a reward, the animals received the insides of the carcasses. Hunting cheetah was very an expensive gift. The animal does not reproduce in captivity, so only noble people could obtain a caught, tamed and trained predator.
The unusual nature of a wild animal is manifested in the fact that it is easy to tame even in mature age, respond well to training. They show the dog’s devotion to the owner and get used to the leash and collar. In zoos they quickly get used to the staff, but are highly wary of strangers.
The history of cheetahs begins before ice age, which they miraculously survived, but bear the “cross” of genetic degeneration from forced inbreeding - more than half of the cubs, up to 70%, die before one year. Keeping animals in captivity is quite difficult.
They are extremely sensitive to drafts, temperature changes, viral infections - in general, they have difficulty adapting to new environment. The natural need of animals is vast spaces and specific nutrition.
The cheetah is considered the fastest animal in the world
Unfortunately, the animal population is constantly thinning due to a reduction in areas suitable for habitation and poaching. Cheetah mammal in Red it is designated as an endangered species.
Kinds
Several centuries ago, populations of predators massively inhabited the territories of Asia and Africa. Based on 2007 research, there are fewer than 4,500 individuals left in Africa, and significantly fewer in Asia.
There are fewer and fewer animals, although they are under the protection of environmental services. IN modern classification the five remaining cheetah subspecies are included, not counting several extinct ones. One is also found in Asia, four subspecies are inhabitants.
Asiatic cheetah. The number of the subspecies is approaching a critical threshold, which is why there remains increased interest in it. IN sparsely populated areas Iran is home to no more than 60 rare animals. The remaining individuals are not large quantities kept in zoos different countries.
Features of the Asian subspecies are short limbs, powerful neck, thick skin. There are fewer and fewer vast territories for the fast hunter. Man oppresses the animal in its original places - savannas, semi-deserts. The number of wild ungulates that make up the predator’s food supply is declining.
Royal cheetah. The black stripes along the back make it easy to identify the African subspecies, which is called the Mutation Rex. Large dark spots merge together on the sides of the animal, giving the pattern unusual look.
The strange color has caused a dispute between scientists about the place of the royal cheetah in the classification of animals. The appearance of cubs with the same plumage is associated with a recessive gene of both parents, giving color mutations.
Cheetah in Africa It is also found in other mutational varieties that are no less interesting:
- white albinos or black melanists - the outline of the spots is barely visible;
- red cheetahs - spots of deep red color on a golden background of fur;
- light yellow color with pale reddish spots.
Dull shades of fur probably appear in the inhabitants desert areas for camouflage - the factor of adaptation and protection from the scorching sun acts.
European cheetah- an extinct species of animal. Fossil remains were found mostly in France. The existence of the species is confirmed by rock paintings discovered in the Shuve cave.
European look was significantly larger and more powerful than modern African cheetahs. Large mass bodies, developed muscles made it possible to develop a running speed much higher than that of cheetahs that have survived to this day.
Lifestyle and habitat
Previously, the Asian steppes and semi-deserts of Africa were inhabited in large numbers by cheetahs. The African subspecies inhabited the continent from Morocco to the Cape of Good Hope. The Asian subspecies was distributed in India, Pakistan, Israel, and Iran. On the territory of the former Soviet republics The cheetah was also not a rare animal. Today the predator is on the verge of extinction.
Mass extermination led to the conservation of species, mainly in Algeria, Zambia, Kenya, Angola, and Somalia. An extremely small population remains in Asia. Over the past hundred years, the number of cheetahs has decreased from 100 to 10 thousand individuals.
Predators avoid thickets and prefer open areas. Animal cheetah does not belong to school mammals, leads a solitary lifestyle. Even married couple is formed for a short period of time during the rut, after which it disintegrates.
Males live alone, but sometimes unite into peculiar coalitions of 2-3 individuals, within which smooth relationships are formed. Females live on their own if they are not raising offspring. Cheetahs do not have internal fights within groups.
Adults easily tolerate the proximity of other cheetahs, even purring and licking each other's faces. About the cheetah we can say that this is a peace-loving animal among its relatives.
Unlike most predators, the cheetah hunts exclusively during the day, which is explained by the way it obtains food. It goes out in search of food in the cool morning or evening, but before dusk. It is important for the cheetah to see the prey, and not to feel it, like other animals. At night, the predator hunts extremely rarely.
The cheetah will not sit in ambush for hours and look out for prey. Seeing prey, the predator quickly overtakes it. Natural maneuverability and dexterity have been inherent in animals since ancient times, when they were the rulers of open spaces.
Their habitat has developed their sprinting qualities. High running speed, long jumps of the beast, the ability to change the trajectory of movement with lightning speed to deceive the victim - run from the cheetah useless. It can be outwitted, since the predator’s strength is not enough for a long chase.
The male's territory is an open area, which he marks with urine or excrement. Due to the lack of claws, the cheetah does not seek out vegetation that it cannot climb. The animal can find shelter only under thorny bushes and the lush crown of a tree. The size of the male's territory depends on the amount of food, and the female's territory depends on the presence of offspring.
Natural enemies Cheetahs are lions, hyenas, leopards, which not only take away prey, but also encroach on the offspring. Cheetah predator vulnerable. Injuries received from caught victims often become disastrous for the hunters themselves, because they can only get food in excellent conditions. physical fitness. A simple-minded beast.
Nutrition
Predators most often prey on antelopes, goitered gazelles, zebras, gazelles, impalas, and mountain sheep. The cheetah does not refuse birds. On happy hunting can defeat an ostrich, a young wildebeest, and a baby warthog.
Predators drag their prey to a secluded place so that stronger rivals such as hyenas and lions do not take it away. Strong beasts have a great advantage over the cheetah, exhausted after the chase. He needs at least half an hour to recover. Therefore, large and cunning animals without counter resistance they snatch away the free lunch.
The cheetah never eats carrion. After their meal, if not all the meat is eaten, the animals never return; they prefer new hunt. They don't make stocks. Cheetahs stun their victims with powerful blows and then strangle them. As a rule, the chase ends at a distance of 200-300 meters. If the prey still manages to escape, the predator loses interest in it and stops pursuing it.
The cheetah is a short distance sprinter. Despite big lungs, developed muscles, the animal gets very tired when it expends maximum energy during the chase. He never gets involved in a fight, since any wound will not allow him to hunt later. Only half of the hunting attacks are successful.
Reproduction and lifespan
During breeding, males unite in groups of 3-4 individuals to conquer new territories with females. Usually males from the same litter unite. Pregnancy of females lasts up to 95 days, 2-4 kittens are born. The babies appear completely helpless. The eyes open only after 2 weeks.
The fur of the cubs is blue-gray and long. Spotting appears later. The decoration of the babies is a dark mane and a tassel at the tip of the tail. By 4 months, these characteristic signs disappear. In the life of kittens it is dangerous period, since they are easy prey for any predator, even among birds. During the absence of the mother, the babies behave very quietly and hide in the den.
Milk feeding lasts up to 8 months, later the female brings wounded animals to awaken hunting instincts. Up to a year, sometimes more, the cubs need guardianship. The male does not take part in caring for the offspring.
In nature, the life of cheetahs is 15-25 years. In zoos national parks– life span increases, but animals do not reproduce. Quality food, medical care not enough to meet the needs of animals.
Feature modeling is important natural environment, a manifestation of a special attitude towards them on the part of people. Cheetah in the photo is a graceful animal, but it is more interesting to watch it not only in photographs, but also in its natural environment.
This beast can reach a speed of 65 km/h in just 2 seconds! And then run at a speed of 110 km/h! The cheetah is the fastest-footed land mammal. A racehorse, for example, can run at a speed of just over 70 km/h, and a greyhound at about 65 km/h. However, unlike them, the cheetah can develop such incredible speed only over short distances
Cheetahs (Acinonyx: the generic name of the cheetah, whose scientific name and patronymic is Acinonyx jubatus.) are representatives of the cat family, although they also have many canine features. For example, they suffer from canine diseases. Like dogs, they sit and hunt. Cheetahs have fur similar to that of smooth-haired dogs. And the vague spots on the skin already resemble cat fur. On the ground, these animals leave completely cat-like footprints and, like cats, love to climb spreading trees (cheetah cubs climb better because adult claws are already blunter because they do not retract for better traction with the ground. On the front limbs there are claws light, large, with sharp ends curved forward and upward. The claw of the first finger is especially large. With a long paw, armed with this claw, like the tip of a spear, the cheetah delivers such a strong blow that the overtaken victim flies somersaults. Baby cheetahs can retract their claws like kittens. only up to 10 - 15 weeks, later the claws become almost motionless, and according to this, the metacarpus is more reminiscent of a dog. In general, the structure of the cheetah's body almost repeats the silhouette of a greyhound, and some aspects of behavior are also more characteristic of dogs. The cheetah's muzzle is beautiful and very unique. Two black stripes stretch from the eyes to the corners of the mouth, giving the cheetah a sad and even unhappy appearance. The cheetah's fur is short, sandy in color, and the entire skin - except for the light belly - is strewn with small dark spots. Newborn cubs have darker fur, and a thick ashy “mane” stretches along the back from neck to tail. The sounds made by a cheetah are similar to the abrupt chirping of a bird. They can be heard at a distance of two kilometers and allow the cheetah to communicate with its cubs and relatives. The cheetah has a gentle and peaceful disposition. When a cheetah is happy, it begins to purr like a huge one. domestic cat. The cheetah gets used to humans very quickly and can be tamed. An adult cheetah can weigh more than 45 kg.
A cheetah is not born a hunter, but becomes one, and only if its mother teaches it an “intensive training course.” Cheetahs born in captivity do not know how to sneak up on prey and chase prey. Joint meals between mother and cubs are very peaceful, without quarrels or fights. There are cases where in arid regions a cheetah fed on juicy wild melons. Tourists who go on African safaris are very surprised that these peace-loving animals are not at all shy. An adult cheetah can come and lie down in the shade of a campervan or jump on the hood of a car and curiously look through the glass at admiring, and sometimes seriously frightened, people. Despite all the similarities with their feline relatives, scientists single out the cheetah for its originality in independent genus, and some theriologies even into a separate subfamily of cats. There is no consensus yet on the number of cheetah subspecies. Most zoologists agree on seven, some of this seven recognize only two - Asian venaticus and African jubatus, which are translated from Latin as “hunting” and “having a mane.” In fact, this is not a mane, but a short mane, like a comb of slightly elongated hair.
A cheetah can really rush like a whirlwind. Incredibly, this beast can reach a speed of 65 km/h in just 2 seconds from a standstill! And then run at a speed of 110 km/h! The cheetah is the fastest-footed land mammal. A racehorse, for example, can run at a speed of just over 70 km/h, and a greyhound at about 65 km/h. However, unlike them, the cheetah can develop such incredible speed only over short distances. The cheetah is an animal with a tucked body, long, slender legs and a flexible, arched back. The long spotted tail helps the cheetah make sharp turns when running at full speed. On the most high speed a cheetah can race in 6-meter leaps. The cheetah is helped to develop such exceptional speed by its unique legs, which are more similar in structure to the legs of a dog than a cat. And the claws help the cheetah not to lose stability while running.
Cheetah sets a new world record for the 100-meter dash among animals
A female cheetah set a new world record in the 100-meter race among animals in the United States, running the distance in 6.13 seconds. As reported on Friday, September 11, 2009, on the website of the British newspaper Evening Standard, the race took place at the zoo American city Cincinnati. An eight-year-old female cheetah named Sarah broke the previous world record set in 2001 by a cheetah from South Africa. According to the race organizer, Sarah used three attempts to set the record. To keep the cheetah from going astray, zoo staff used bait similar to what is used in greyhound racing. Note that the cheetah ran the 100-meter dash three seconds faster than the best human runner, Jamaican-born Usain Bolt. His time at this distance was 9.58 seconds.
The elegant, swift cheetah is a cat that doesn't look like a cat at all. He is the fastest runner on earth and, when chasing prey, is capable of running for some time at speeds of up to one hundred kilometers per hour. He does not know how to roar like large cats, but only yelps like a dog or emits an amazing, completely bird-like chirp. Three months after mating, the female cheetah gives birth to two to four spotted kittens. The African cheetah is born with a mane on its head and back, light, gray stripe fog, but over time it changes, becomes short and harsh. Tear stripes stretch from his eyes to his upper jaw, curving like the horns of a lyre, and give the cheetah a sad expression. At three to four months of age, young cheetahs already follow their mother during predawn and evening hunts and learn to sneak up on prey, freeze if the intended victim suddenly becomes wary, approach again, and so on until there are a hundred meters left before the herd, and then turn reddish. - rush forward like yellow lightning. Although cheetah cubs, like all kittens, are born with claws as sharp as pins, these claws hardly retract, and with age they become dull and no longer serve as weapons or help in climbing trees. Adult cheetahs climb very poorly and climb trees only if they have nowhere else to hide from more large predators. The cheetah's teeth and jaws are not as powerful and formidable as those of lions and tigers, and the muzzle is more like a dog's than a cat's. Therefore, young cheetahs must take over from their mother the throw directly at the victim’s throat. A bite to another place will not knock it down and the predator will be struck by the blows of deadly hooves and horns. Standing still spotted cheetah looks rather awkward - arched back, wasp waist, thin legs. But as soon as he starts running, reaching a speed of 70 kilometers per hour in 2 seconds, he becomes the embodiment of graceful swiftness. The non-retractable claws turn into record-breaking runner's spikes and allow the cheetah to turn and change direction in the blink of an eye. Racing alongside a herd of spooked Thomson's gazelles - his favorite prey - he knocks down his intended victim as he runs, then leaps and kills him with a single bite to the throat. Unlike big cats The cheetah does not eat carrion. Having eaten his fill of the prey he has just killed, he leaves the carcass for the vultures and jackals. Cheetahs sometimes hunt in pairs or family groups, but they do not belong to social animals. What may seem like a pride in a cheetah is in fact most often a female with grown cubs that will leave her when they reach two years of age. Despite its hunting skills, the cheetah is by nature a gentle, calm animal, and there is not a single case known of it attacking a person. People were not so peaceful towards him.
King cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus. In 1981 at the DeWildt Cheetah Center ( South Africa) a new cheetah mutation was noted, called royal. Cheetahs with this coloration are extremely rare in nature. That year, a king cheetah was born in captivity for the first time. In terms of body structure, it is no different from an ordinary cheetah, but its coloring contains particularly large markings, and all the spots are connected in a pattern. The first king cheetah was discovered in 1926 in Zimbabwe and was initially mistaken for a new species of cheetah. Only 50 years later, in 1974, the first photograph was taken ( National Park Kruger). At first it was believed that it was a hybrid of a cheetah and a leopard, but genetic tests disproved this theory. Royal cheetahs can interbreed with ordinary cheetahs, resulting in full-fledged offspring. A royal-colored cub can be born from normal-colored parents. The diet of cheetahs is dominated by small prey - Grant's and Thompson's gazelles, impala antelopes, hares and birds. They eat only that part of the prey that they can eat at one time and do not return to the remains of the carcass because they are not able to defend it. He is fast, but not strong.
During a fast hunt, the cheetah, a member of the feline family, accelerates to 120 km/h, being the fastest animal on Earth. True, the predator manages to maintain such a speed for only a few seconds, although this time is usually enough for successful fishing.
Unique body structure
They help the cheetah achieve such excellent results in short-distance running (no more than 900 m). anatomical features . A small, round head and a streamlined, lean body without fat deposits are the reason that within two seconds after the start the speed of the beast reaches 75 km/h.
While running, the predator constantly maneuvers, changes direction and makes jumps up to 8 m long, spending 0.5 seconds on each of them.
The sprinting talent is also facilitated by long, thin legs and a strong, muscular tail, which serves as additional balance for the mammal. Compared to other cats, the cheetah's lungs have a larger volume, and the structural features of the trachea help the animal hold the trophy in its mouth for a long time and still breathe normally.
Thanks to binocular vision, the fauna sprinter can accurately determine the distance to the prey.
Interestingly, cheetahs are not born hunters, but become hunters through the process of maternal training. Animals born in captivity do not know how to pursue prey.
Cat or dog?
A graceful predator with its silhouette looks like a graceful dog Greyhound breed. Many scientists tend to classify it as a separate subfamily or independent genus of felines. The main difference from a tiger or leopard is that the cheetah does not retract its claws, and, accordingly, climbs trees poorly.
The sounds made by a cheetah are similar to a jerky bark - a cat with the body of a dog is also incapable of roaring like a lion, and it cannot hunt from an ambush. Taste preferences also differ - a swift runner will never touch carrion.
And finally - Interesting Facts about fleet-footed hunters:
- Cheetahs have a peaceful disposition and quickly get used to humans. They can replace even a devoted dog.
- In the East and Ancient Rus', rich residents had fun by hunting with tame predators.
- To quench the thirst of an animal, one consumption of water for three days is enough; it can live without food for five days.
In the 20th century, the number of cheetahs decreased everywhere. If previously these graceful sprinters were widespread in Asia and Africa, today the situation is depressing. In Saudi Arabia, mammals disappeared completely, and in India, the last animal was destroyed in 1950.
Now the cheetah is listed in the Red Book, like the fastest one, which we have already talked about.
Area: Africa, India, Western and Central Asia.
Description: appearance a cheetah resembles a hound dog with long paws, a small cat-like face and a long thin tail. Cheetahs use their tail as a balance when running. The body is slender and lean, the back is arched, the muscles are well developed. The coat is somewhat similar to that of smooth-haired dogs. The fangs are small, the jaws are weak. The claws are long, sharp, and not retractable, which is why cheetahs cannot climb trees. The feet of the paws are wide, with rough skin. Nasal cavity short. The heart, lungs, bronchi and tonsils are enlarged to provide maximum oxygen flow when running.
The cheetah is the fastest animal on earth.
Color: basic tone golden yellow, white belly. Black spots are scattered over the body. There are black stripes on the muzzle (from the tips of the eyes to the mouth).
Size: body length varies 115-140 cm, tail 65-90 cm, height at withers up to 79 cm.
Weight: male on average - 43 kg, female - 38 kg.
Lifespan: in captivity up to 17-20 years, in nature up to 8-10 years.
Cheetah meow |
Frightened kittens whistle sharply and shrilly.
Habitat: open spaces - savannas and semi-deserts.
Enemies: Young and sick cheetahs are attacked and preyed upon by hyenas, leopards and lions.
Food: hunts small ungulates (Thompson's gazelle, impala, wildebeest), hares and birds. In zoos, it eats up to 3.5 kg of meat per day.
Behavior: The cheetah is diurnal. Hunts during the day or at dusk, pursuing prey, and not from ambush, creeping up to the prey from the leeward side at 30 m, making a rapid dash. Often lies in wait for prey at a watering hole. Cheetahs hunt alone.
The victim is knocked down with a blow from his paw, and then choked by clinging to her throat. Usually the animal chooses a weak victim, for example, when hunting gazelles, about 70% of all attempts end successfully. Vision is sharp.
When running at a gallop, it pushes off with its front and hind legs, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 110 km/h and quickly change the direction of running. At this speed, the cheetah can jump up to 6 m!
It can replenish its need for water by drinking the blood or urine of its victims, and willingly eats juicy sweet melons.
Resting under trees or on low horizontal branches.
Social structure: Lives in pairs or alone. The cubs of one female, having matured and left their mother, create kinship groups that last up to 6 months. When the females are about two years old, they leave the group. The males live together for some time. The area size of such a group is up to 150 km 2 .
Reproduction: Forms pairs during the breeding season. After mating, the male leaves the female and does not take part in raising the offspring.
The female cheetah does not make a den, but places it in dense bushes or thickets of tall grass, less often in an abandoned den of another animal. If the first litter dies, the female begins to estrus again after three weeks.
Breeding season/period: December - January.
Puberty: females at 24-36 months, males at 30-36 months.
Pregnancy: lasts 84-95 days.
Offspring: The female gives birth to 2-5 blind kittens. Newborn kittens are without spots (they appear later). The eyes open on the tenth day. At 5-6 weeks of age, kittens already follow their mother. The mother actively protects her cubs and in their first month of life constantly moves them from place to place to protect them from enemies.
Cubs up to 10-15 weeks can retract their claws like kittens; later the claws become non-retractable. Lactation lasts up to three months.
The fur is dark and thick and lush along the back.<мантия>ash color. At the age of two months it turns into a mane. Permanent teeth begin to grow by nine months. Eating prey together with the mother is very peaceful, without quarrels or fights.
Only 11% of kittens survive up to 4 months, 4-5.5% - up to 14 months.
Young cheetahs stay with their mother for up to 1.5 years, after which they leave her.
Benefit/harm for humans: Cheetahs do not attack people. Easily tamed and trained, he has a gentle and peaceful disposition. In India and Iran, they hunted antelope with tame cheetahs.
Population/Conservation Status: The cheetah is a very rare and endangered animal. The population size is about 8-10 thousand individuals.
The mortality rate is very high: from birth to puberty it ranges between 90 and 98%.
The main threats to the species: development of desert areas and plowing of lands, direct persecution by poachers.
The species is listed in International IUCN Red List and to the CITES Convention (Appendix I). Currently, seven subspecies are recognized Acinonyx jubatus: A.j. Jubatus- South Africa, A.j. Raineyi- Kenya, A.j. Ngorongorensis- Tanzania and Zaire, A.j. Soemmeringii- from Nigeria to Somalia, A.j. hecki- Algeria, A.j. raddei - Caspian lowland, A.j. venaticus- from India and the Middle East.
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