Cheetahs: Masters of Speed and Stealth
Introduction:
Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are one of the most remarkable species that live on planet Earth, famous for their astonishing pace and nimbleness. The quickest land mammals attain speeds as high as 70 miles per hour and can sprint from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds. It is, however, not just about how swiftly they move; they have transformed into amazing animals with adjustments that suit them best for hunting at high velocities.
Amazing Facts:
- Fastest Animal on Earth: But then again, they only move at this top speed for a brief moment due to excessive energy consumption.
- Unique Spots: Similarly, no two cheetahs share the same spot pattern as humans do not have similar fingerprints.
- Designed for Speed: They have elongated legs with light skin while having a flexible back, making them fastest when racing on land.
- Daytime Hunters: While other big cats prefer nocturnal hunting, they use their keen eyesight to anticipate when prey will be within striking distance of them.
- Recessed Claws: The claws do not retract completely but are only recessed, thus they may give good grip at high-speed chases.
- A Rudder-like Tail: Running with a long tail that works as a balancing tool, allowing the animal to take sharp turns during motion.
Habitat and Diet:
Their inhabit different environments generally in Africa, and there are some populations in Iran.
- Grasslands: Spotting preys easily and running after them
- Savannas: These have open spaces for hunting and few hiding places for sneaking close to prey.
- Semi-Deserts: This region is characterized by very little vegetation, hence low food availability, majorly Namibia
What do they eat?
- Feeding: They are carnivores; as such, they just eat meat.
- Favourite Prey: Gazelles, impalas, springboks, etc., which are medium-sized ungulates.
- Occasional Prey: Rabbits, birds and small animals
- Technique of Hunt: They indeed rely on stalking before eventually chasing until the prey dies of suffocation due to holding on its neck by the throat grab.
Appearance:
For increased pace and mobility, they possess a slim build characterised by gracefulness.
- Size: The height of an adult Cheetah is estimated to range from about 28 to 35 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 75-125 pounds.
- Coat: The coat has a golden yellow colour with black camouflage spots all over it.
- Facial markings: There are dark tear tracks running from the inner eye corner down to the mouth; these help in reducing glare when focusing.
- Tail length: The tail length is long with a black tufted tip plus faint rings around it.
- Eyes: This species has large eyes that face forward, giving them advanced binocular vision capability.
Types/Subspecies of Cheetah:
Different types of cheetahs exist, which can be identified on the basis of their geographical location or minor physical variations.
- Southeast African Cheetah: These are usually found in Southern and Eastern Africa and make up most of the population today.
- Asiatic Cheetah: Iran has a very small number of this subspecies and is critically endangered as well.
- Northeast African Cheetah: Sudan and Ethiopia are its main locations.
- Acinonyx jubatus hecki: Northwest African Cheetah: Almost extinct, only found in Sahel and Sahara;
- Acinonyx jubatus raineyi: East African Cheetah: Found within Kenya-Tanzania Kenya Tanzania plus environs.
Predators and Threats:
Natural Predators:
Fully grown cheetahs have very few predators, although cubs may be killed.
- Lions and Leopards: They occasionally kill them that are also rivals for space and food.
- Hyenas: They may snatch away kills from them or attack their cubs.
- Eagles: their cubs in open areas are hunted by eagles.
Threats:
- Habitat Loss: Their natural habitats have been diminished due to farming expansion and urbanization
- Human-wildlife conflict: Farmers who keep livestock often kill them to protect them
- Low Genetic Diversity: Thus, the population is prone to diseases due to inbreeding, which causes reproduction problems too because of this situation
- Poaching: Some are killed for their beautiful skins, while others are taken captive as unlawful pets.
Mating and Reproduction:
- Breeding Behavior: Their mate with multiple partners at a time that can be both males and females at the same time.
- Reproduction: Their oestrous cycle lasts 10 days, and they are solitary animals. During this time, females mate with males.
- Gestation period: The gestation period of cheetahs is about 90-95 days, resulting in an average litter size per female of three to five cubs.
- Cubs: Each new-born cub weighs approximately 8–12 ounces and is blind as well as immobile. They have a light grey fur that is somewhat long on their backs. There is high cub mortality every year due to predators, which account for over half the deaths in this age group as a result of predation (50%–70%).
How They Communicate:
These species use different sounds, body languages, and marking with scent indicators.
Sounds:
- Chirping: It could be above the human auditory threshold, but they can hear it; hence, it helps them find their young ones or even locate other members of their families.
- Purring: They usually make purring sounds when grooming or resting, which signify happiness.
- Growling & Hissing: These sounds indicate that danger elicits defensiveness behaviour from the cat family members making such noises.
Body Language:
- Someone can know what the next movement will entail by looking at its tail position and ear movement.
- It means that a stocker position is looking for food.
Scent Marking:
- During breeding seasons, territories can be established through spraying urine and marking faeces.
Movies featuring Cheetahs:
The use of them in many movies over countless years has often been about their speed and gracefulness.
- Cheetah (1989): A Disney film about two children who own a cheetah named Duma,
- The Last Lions (2011): It is a documentary by National Geographic on the behaviour of them.
- Racing Extinction (2015): This movie, however, brings out the threats faced by endangered species like cheetah.
How would you pronounce it?
- English: /ˈtʃiːtə/ (Cheetah)
- Spanish: /chita/
- French: /guépard/
- German: /Gepard/
- Russian: /гепард (gepard)/
- Mandarin Chinese:/猎豹(liè bào)/
- Japanese:/チーター(chītā)/
- Hindi:/चीताह(chītāh)/
- Arabic:/فهد(fahd)/
FAQs:
Q: How fast can they run?
A: They are the fastest animals in the world, with speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.
Q: Where do they live?
A: Their habitat as well includes grasslands or savannahs or semi-deserts in Africa and some parts of Iran.
Q. Cheetah, is there any endangered species among them?
A. Yes, some subspecies are critically endangered, while others are classified as vulnerable.
Q. What is the lifespan of them?
A. Well, in wild habitat ones, it’s about ten to twelve years, but under human care, they could reach up to seventeen years old.