A method of hunting characteristic of a cheetah. Cheetah jump length
Pronghorn. This elegant creature is the fastest land animal North America, developing a speed of 90 km/h. Over a short distance, a pronghorn would not be able to outrun a cheetah, but would easily pull away from it over any long course. Their endurance allows pronghorns to migrate hundreds of kilometers every year.
Brazilian folded lip. The fastest of bats, accelerating to almost 100 km/h in a dive. Folded lips live in large colonies in caves, under bridges and in old buildings. In the evenings, they simultaneously fly out to hunt, creating a stunning “cinematic” picture.
Sailfish and swordfish. An interesting example of a draw - different sources They call either sailfish or swordfish the fastest fish in the world, reaching speeds from 100 to 130 km/h. One study that gives the swordfish the upper hand found, using an MRI, that the fish's upper jaw contains an oil-producing tonsil. By spreading around the fish's head, the oil reduces friction with the water and increases speed.
Kalypta Anna. This bird's top speed limit is 80 km/h, which doesn't seem very impressive until you consider its size. Biologist Christopher Clark from the University of California, Berkeley, calculated that at this speed, the hummingbird covers 385 body sizes per second, experiencing strong overloads of 10G.
Cheetah. Far from being the fastest animal on Earth, inferior to birds, fish and even insects, it is still the fastest land and fastest mammal. Reaches speeds of more than 100 km/h, accelerating from 0 to 100 in three seconds.
Black marlin. According to the BBC, the maximum speed achieved by a black marlin is 130 km/h. It was measured by how quickly the line was reeled from the fishing rod when catching a fish, which is a somewhat controversial method. Was the boat moving at that moment, was the fish swimming in a straight line? Either way, it is no surprise that with such speeds, black marlin are very popular among sport fishermen.
Horsefly. If you've ever been chased by one of these biting critters, you know how fast they are. Jerry Butler, an entomologist at the University of Florida, states that an adult male Hybomitra horsefly reaches speeds in excess of 144 km/h. True, it is difficult to accurately measure the speed of an insect due to its size, nonlinearity of flight and other factors.
Needle-tailed swift. This bird reaches speeds of almost 170 km/h, making it the fastest flying animal. It lives in Asia and Australia, occasionally flying to Europe.
Mite. If we take the fastest animal in the world in relation to length own body, then no one will keep up with the tick of the species Paratarsotomus macropalpis. In a second, it covers a distance of 320 of its own dimensions - the same as people would accelerate to 2090 km/h.
Peregrine Falcon. Although the peregrine falcon flies slower than the needle-tailed swift, in a dive after prey it accelerates to 390 km/h. The claw strike after acceleration is so strong that it can tear off the victim's head.
You can endlessly admire wild cats, but it’s not easy to guess who is faster - a cheetah or a leopard. Both animals are excellent runners, but there is an undisputed leader among them.
Cheetah's maximum speed
The maximum jump of a cheetah can reach 6 m
The cheetah is considered the fastest land animal. It can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h, and within 2 seconds after the start it reaches 65 km/h! However, he is not a stayer, but rather a sprinter. A cheetah's run is a series of throws, the distance of each of which is just over 400 m. After running a mini-distance, the animal must rest to gain strength.
This is explained by the habitat and hunting habits of the animal. The cheetah lives in open areas where there is no opportunity to hide in an ambush, so it overtakes its prey in pursuit. First, he approaches the potential victim at 10 meters, and then catches him in a high-speed race.
How fast does a leopard run?
Predators can do huge jumps up to 7 m in length and 3 m in height
Unlike the cheetah, the leopard is a forest dweller. The abundance of tall grass and bushes gives the predator the opportunity to hide and watch the approach of the prey from ambush. When attacking prey, it pursues it at a speed of 60 km/h, without having to run far.
Who is faster
The ability to run fast is vital for a cheetah
Despite external resemblance, cheetah and leopard live in different conditions, that's why they hunt differently. Their running abilities also vary, with the fastest runner wild cats considered a cheetah.
Despite the fact that the leopard does not run as fast as the cheetah, it hunts no less successfully, and wildlife this is the main thing.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) - the fastest of all terrestrial mammals in the world.
The small neat head, small chin, incredibly light bones and graceful long legs of the cheetah seem to be specially created for easy and graceful high-speed running.
The maximum speed of a cheetah (in km/h) reaches more than 100.
Description of appearance
Cheetahs are members of the cat family, although they share many of the same traits as dogs. For example, their diseases are mainly characteristic of dogs. And they hunt and sit like dogs. And their fur is similar to that of a dog.
The main fur of this animal is sand-colored, it is covered with black spots (except for the belly). And in newborns, the fur is usually darker, and stretches along their back from the neck to the very tail. ash color"mane".
The cheetah's muzzle is very beautiful and unique. This animal is very easy to distinguish by the black stripes running down from the inside of the eyes almost to the edges of the corners of the mouth. It gives the misleading impression that the animal is crying. These black tears under the eyes help him increase his vision, reducing the glare from the glare of the sun.
Large nostrils allow the body to increase the amount of oxygen consumed by the body when running, and enlarged lungs and heart allow it to be distributed efficiently throughout the body. A cheetah's breathing increases greatly when running and reaches 60-150 breaths in 1 minute.
The body length of a cheetah reaches from 112 to 135 cm, the tail - from 66 to 84 cm. The weight of an adult cheetah can exceed 45 kg.
Habits, similarities with cats
The cheetah's maximum speed is achieved thanks to its graceful, lightweight build.
How are cheetahs similar to cats? The vague dark spots on their skin strongly resemble cat color fur. On the surface of the earth, these animals leave footprints like those of a cat. They also love to climb various spreading trees.
And they can purr like domestic cats, but they cannot roar like the main part of the felines.
The cheetah's maximum speed is achieved in part due to its strong and long paws. In addition, its paws, armed with claws, deliver a powerful blow in such a way that the victim flies up head over heels.
Surprisingly, the sounds made by this strong animal are reminiscent of the abrupt chirping of birds. True, they can be heard at a distance of almost two kilometers. This allows the cheetah to communicate with its cubs and relatives.
These graceful but strong animals have a rather gentle and peaceful disposition. When a cheetah is happy, it begins to rumble and purr like domestic cat. The cheetah can also be tamed; it gets used to people very quickly.
Habitats
Cheetahs now live in Southwest Asia and Africa. In Asia small species Cheetahs are mainly concentrated in Iran (in the North), where environmentalists are trying to somehow protect them and prevent a decrease in their numbers. They usually live here in spacious areas where there is something to eat. Usually live on more open areas(semi-deserts and prairies).
In Africa they are concentrated only in Namibia (in the savannah). These areas feature dense vegetation and more mountainous terrain.
Food and hunting
The cheetah is essentially carnivorous. Its diet mainly consists of gazelles. But it can feed on impalas, birds, rabbits and young warthogs. Moreover, it has its own peculiarity - it eats only its prey, ignores dead animals, even if they died recently.
Usual hunting time - early morning or late evening. At this time it is not very hot yet, but it is already quite light.
The hunting success rate of cheetahs is about 50%.
When running at an incredibly high speed, a cheetah puts a lot of stress on its body. His temperature becomes very high. Therefore, the cheetah, having caught prey, rests.
He usually sits on some hill in the selection of a future victim. Having found prey, it approaches it at a distance of up to 30 m and only then begins to run. This is where the cheetah's maximum speed comes into play.
His amazing abilities allow you to accelerate to 103 km/h in just 3 seconds. Then, having reached the prey, the cheetah kills it with a bite in the neck (strangling or cutting through an artery). It's amazing that if the victim can hold out and escape fatal bites within 30 seconds, the cheetah gives in and lets her go.
Despite its fantastic speed and hunting skill, this animal tries to avoid some large predators. He avoids wrestling in order to prevent any injury. The main strength of this predator is speed. He relies only on her, and the injury may reduce his speed.
Cheetahs usually eat quickly. This is because slowing down can lead to food loss. In a fight with other animals, he may lose.
What allows this animal to run so fast?
Nature has given many good things to this amazingly fast animal: long slender limbs, thin waist, a small head, a deep chest cavity and a surprisingly flexible back ridge.
The maximum speed of a cheetah can reach up to 114 km/h. At this speed, he can even run up to 275 meters without stopping. Thanks to long tail, provides good additional balance when turning sharply at full speed.
Cheetah on the most high speed can run in long 6 and even 8 meter jumps. The maximum speed of the cheetah (photo below) is mainly developed due to the unique structure of its legs, which are more similar to the legs of a dog than to a cat.
Long, strong claws maintain balance and stability while running.
Speed capabilities. What is the maximum speed of a cheetah?
Not a single animal in the world can catch up with a cheetah at a short distance. Experiments show that it is capable of accelerating even to 84 km/h in just 4 seconds, while a car Ferrari can achieve the same speed result in 5 seconds. And this is not the limit of the beast’s phenomenal capabilities: the maximum speed of the cheetah (“Hot and Cold” - a game on the Odnoklassniki website) is currently 114 kilometers per hour.
With all this, having such incredible abilities, the cheetah cannot achieve record results over long distances. He spends less than 0.5 seconds (each) on his long jumps (6-8 meters) when running.
His breathing rate is up to 150 times per minute. There are, of course, disastrous results: after running a couple of hundred meters at great speed, cheetahs can lose consciousness and then take a long time to come to their senses.
This beautiful, amazing and strong animal fascinates with its ease and grace in running and its unusual natural beauty.
Security status: Vulnerable.
Listed in the Red Book International Union nature conservation
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the only surviving representative of the genus Acinonyx from, as well as. The unique morphology and physiology of the cheetah allows it to reach speeds of over 100 km/h in just 3 seconds, and also take 7-meter “steps” at maximum speed. Cheetahs are also famous for their less aggressive behavior than others. big cats in relation to humans and livestock. There is not a single official confirmation of the killing of people by cheetahs. However, they are subject to intense persecution and extermination by humans.
Description
Long tail and legs, slender body, flexible spine, half-retracted claws distinguish the cheetah from other cats and give a huge advantage in speed. Adult cheetahs weigh 40–70 kg. The length of the body from head to tail ranges from 110 to 150 cm. The length of the tail is 60 - 80 cm. At the withers, cheetahs are 66–94 cm. Males, as a rule, are slightly more females and they have a larger head, but the differences are not significant. Life expectancy is up to 12 years in nature and up to 20 in captivity.
Color
The fur of cheetahs is yellowish-sandy in color with black spots from 2 to 3 cm all over the body. The spots on the tail merge into dark rings. Color is important element camouflage of the animal, which helps during hunting and makes it invisible to other large predators. Distinctive black "tear" stripes from eyes to mouth act as sunglasses and possibly function as a sight, helping the animal better focus on prey. Until three months of age, cheetah cubs have a thick silver-gray mantle on their backs and a dark belly, which makes them similar to honey badgers and helps protect them from predators such as lions, hyenas and eagles.
This unusual looking cheetah, also known as Cooper's cheetah, was first discovered in Zimbabwe in 1926 and was considered a distinct subspecies Acinonyxrex. This is actually a rare mutation of the fur pattern. For this color to appear, the recessive gene must be inherited from both parents.
Paws
The feet have half-retracted claws, short toes, and harder, less rounded pads than other cats. All this improves traction with the soil, increases the speed and maneuverability of the cheetah.
Teeth
Cheetah's teeth are smaller compared to others big cats. Cheetahs have enlarged nostrils, this is due to the need to obtain large volumes of oxygen while running. Because the nasal passages are large, there is little room for the roots of the teeth, and large teeth need strong roots to hold them in place.
Tail
The cheetah uses its long tail as a rudder, allowing it to make sudden sharp turns during high-speed chases. The tail also serves signaling device for young cheetahs following their mother in the tall grass.
Behavior and hunting
Males live in small groups 2 to 4 individuals, called coalitions, which usually consist of brothers. Females, unlike males, are solitary, except when they give birth to offspring. To avoid confrontations with lions and leopards, cheetahs usually hunt during the middle of the day. When chasing, cheetahs get as close to their prey as possible before turning on their main weapon - speed. They knock their prey to the ground and kill it with a suffocating bite to the neck, after which it must be quickly eaten before other large predators set their eyes on the delicacy.
Despite the speed advantage, only half of the chases end in success. The diet of cheetahs mainly consists of ungulates weighing up to 40 kg, including gazelles and young wildebeest. They also eat small animals such as hares, warthogs and birds.
Reproduction
Cheetahs are capable of breeding at any time of the year, but tend to copulate during the dry season, with cubs born at the beginning of the rainy season. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 20-24 months. Pregnancy lasts about 3 months.
On average, 3-4 kittens are born weighing 150-300 grams with characteristic black spots and thick fur. For the first 5-6 weeks, the cubs are completely dependent on their mother’s milk, and starting from the 6th week they are already able to feast on their mother’s prey. Cheetahs gain independence at the age of 13-20 months.
Subspecies
According to the latest research, today there are 5 subspecies, 4 of which live in Africa and one in Asia.
African cheetah subspecies:
- Acinonyx Jubatus hecki: northwestern Africa (in particular the central-western Sahara and the tropical savannah Sahel);
- Acinonyx Jubatus raineyii: eastern Africa;
- Acinonyx Jubatus Jubatus: South Africa;
- Acinonyx Jubatus soemmeringii: central Africa.
Asian subspecies of cheetah:
- Asian subspecies of cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus venaticus) is in critical condition; currently only a small population remains in Iran.
Number and habitat
Cheetahs once lived all over African continent with the exception of tropical forests Congo River Basin. Today they have disappeared from more than 77% of their historical range in Africa. They were also distributed to large areas Asia from the Arabian Peninsula to East India, but today their range has been reduced to one isolated population in Iran's remote central plateau. Overall, cheetahs have gone extinct in at least 25 countries where they previously lived. Back in 1900, there were more than 100 thousand cheetahs. Today, according to recent estimates, there are between 8,000 and 10,000 individuals left in Africa.
Main threats
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Habitat loss and area fragmentation represent greatest threat for animals. Cheetahs are territorial animals and are therefore very sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. Reduction hunting grounds forces animals to enter farmlands, which in turn leads to conflicts with humans.
Predators
Unfortunately, up to 90% of cheetah cubs die in the first weeks of life from the paws of other predators. The main threat comes from leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and sometimes eagles.
The cheetah's maximum running speed of over 110 km/h makes it a skilled hunter, but the price it pays for this ability is a fragile body, which puts it at a disadvantage compared to others. large predators capable of killing him. The chase greatly exhausts cheetahs and they need rest to recuperate. At this time, animals are most vulnerable and at risk of being attacked.
Due to low numbers, cheetahs are forced to mate with close relatives, which limits the species. Incest reduces fertility and increases vulnerability to disease.
Unorganized tourism has the potential to pose a threat to cheetahs. Basic Negative consequences tourism development is the interference with hunting and the separation of mothers and cubs as a result of the interference of tourist cars.
Trade
For thousands of years, wealthy people kept cheetahs in captivity. Pharaohs Ancient Egypt kept them as pets. Italian nobles, Russian princes, and Indian royalty used cheetahs for hunting and as a symbol of their wealth and nobility. Cheetahs do not reproduce well in captivity, so there is growing demand for wild capture, which is causing serious damage to the population, especially in Asia. Probably, illegal trade and was the reason for almost complete disappearance Asian subspecies of cheetah.
Today, there is still a high demand for wild cheetahs as pets. This problem leads to illegal capture of animals and smuggling to various parts of the world. According to statistics, out of six cheetah cubs caught, only one survives the journey, which forces smugglers to catch even more animals.
Although cheetahs belong to the cat family, they share many traits from dogs. Even in appearance, the cheetah is very similar to a greyhound. Cheetahs suffer from canine diseases. And although the spots on the fur are very similar to the color of the fur of cats, in its structure the cheetah’s fur is as close as possible to that of a dog (or rather, to smooth-haired dogs).
They love to climb trees like cats; cheetah cubs are especially good at this, as they are more dexterous and have sharp claws.
The growl of cheetahs can be heard at a distance of two kilometers. Thus, they communicate with their relatives. The cheetah can purr, just like a cat, when it is happy.
By nature, the cheetah is a rather peaceful animal. As it turned out, cheetahs are not born predators, but become under the influence external environment a habitat. Cheetahs raised in captivity do not know how to sneak up and attack prey. They are very easy to tame.
Cheetah speed.
Since the cheetah has a muscular body, strong and powerful paws with powerful claws, it can develop incredible running speed. A couple of seconds after the cheetah takes its paws off the ground, its speed can reach 65 - 75 km/h!
The maximum speed of a cheetah is 120 km/h! True, a cheetah can only carry out such races at maximum speed over short distances. While running, a cheetah's jumps can reach a length of 6-8 meters, each such jump takes less than a second!
Who is faster, a cheetah or a hare?
The hare reaches speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, in which it is significantly inferior to the cheetah. However, the cheetah cannot maintain its maximum speed. If the cheetah has not caught up with the prey within half a kilometer, it stops the chase. The hare, in turn, can run for a long time, while looping. So over long distances, the cheetah is no match for the hare.
After a high-speed race, the cheetah needs rest, which is sometimes used by other predators - lions, leopards, hyenas. They can take prey from the cheetah while it is resting.
Cheetah hunting.
As you know, cheetahs are predators. They can feed on hares, gazelles, and rabbits. Usually their hunt is very long and exhausting. The hunting method characteristic of the cheetah is the pursuit. Even after a cheetah has caught prey, it does not immediately start eating, as it needs rest. Often other predators take advantage of this weakness of the cheetah, and while he is resting, they simply steal the prey. Cheetahs hunt only during the daytime. Not every cheetah hunt ends in success. Cheetahs begin to learn how to hunt properly at 6 months.
It's hard for cheetahs during the rainy season. During this period, they often go hungry, since due to the grass that has grown up, it is difficult for him to see the victim. Tall grass, on top of everything else, also makes it difficult for a cheetah to run.