Cheetah | Facts & Information

From fossil records, it is known that it originated in the USA, from Texas, Nevada and Wyoming(present-day States).

It is likely that they migrated to more suitable environments, as ICE had covered much of the northern hemisphere, and sea levels had decreased. The cheetah survived the Pleistocene epoch, but its numbers have been severely reduced. In the fifth century, they were used by Italian Nobles for hunting, for sports.

Adult cheetahs were caught in the wild and locked in a cage for several months. The number of Cheetahs thus decreased from 100,000 at the end of the nineteenth century to about 12,000 today.

Cheetah Feed

Because they get tired quickly they have to get very close to the prey to be sure they will be able to catch it. Study the game herd in advance and choose the most suitable game.

They hunt during the day, especially in the morning or afternoon, to avoid nocturnal predators such as lions or hyenas. Places with tall grasses give them advantages because they are very similar in color to that of grass.

If they work in a team, they're likely to hunt bigger prey. Immediately after catching a game, The Cheetah must rest to recover from its effort. If he is lucky not to pass through the area any larger predator Cheetah remains with the hunt, otherwise he must flee to save himself.

Cheetahs eat very quickly and at the end they lick each other on the snout. Cheetahs generally eat gazelles, wild calves, impalas and other small hooves.

Cheetah Appearance

The chest of a cheetah is deep, and the waist is narrow. The short coat of the animal is dark yellow with black spots, 2-3 cm in diameter., allowing it to camouflage itself while hunting.

There are no spots on the white fur on the abdomen and thorax, but there are on the tail. The cheetah's head is small, with pointed ears and two black stripes, beginning at the corners of the eyes, on either side of the nose, and ending at the mouth.

They help hunt by keeping the sun's rays away from the eyes, and so can see from great distances. The adult Cheetah weighs between 40 and 65 kg. The total body length is 115-135 cm, while the tail varies up to 84 cm.

Males tend to be larger than females, but there is not much variation and it is difficult to separate males from females by appearance alone.

Cheetah Behavior

The cheetah is a modest climber, hunting prey by the speed of its run and not by the agility of its jump. As such, it is by far the fastest land animal, and even though its exact top speed is unknown, it can often reach more than 110 km/h.

The fastest speed record recorded by a cheetah was 105 km/h, achieved over short distances (about 500 m) Cheetah is also the owner of explosive acceleration, being able to reach in three seconds, starting from the spot, the speed of about 110 km / h, being faster than most racing cars.

This record also contributes to the fact that, unlike the rest of the felids, the cheetah has non-retractable claws.

Cheetah Breeding

It is known that of all felines, the cheetah is the most careful with its cubs. Females raise their young alone. They can give birth first at the age of 2 years, then from 24 to 24 months. The average at birth is 4 pups, 8 cases being rare.

For a period after birth, the mother moves the bed every two days, so that the little ones do not leave a smell that could attract the animals to the prey. The Burrow is, in fact, a narrow place with grass lying on the ground, next to the mother's hunting ground.

It is always on the lookout for prey, from which it feeds only after the chicks are full. Until they are able to run faster, however, the Cubs are extremely vulnerable. This is because, for the sake of speed, the cheetah had to give up the defense of the Cubs.

Females do not have the strength to guard their young from lions or hyenas, and therefore 50% of them are killed in the first months of life. Eagles are one of the biggest threats to Cubs, not because they attack them, but because they can attract Lions and hyenas to an easily won lunch.

Lions kill more cheetah cubs than any other predator. Only one cub in 20 reaches maturity. The reason for this aggressive behavior may be that Lions want to eliminate competition. A migratory feline. During the dry season, chickens can also starve. With the migration of herbivores, rabbits and bat-eared foxes are the only more consistent prey to be found in the area.

This is when the mother and her cubs embark on an annual journey. Females and their young are the only migratory mammals in the world. To thrive, these swift-footed Nomads need vast hunting grounds. They can travel tens of kilometers to the plains in the center of the Savannah.

The Cubs stay with their mother until they are 15-18 months old and can fend for themselves. His mother taught him many hunting techniques. During this period, like all teenagers, cheetah cubs begin to taste freedom. Gone hunting one morning, mom never comes back.

The breakup is sudden and final. The puppies have reached the age when they have to fend for themselves. Freedom and danger. Meanwhile, the Young, who have reached the age at which they must survive by their own strength, are left alone in the vastness of the Savannah. Young cheetahs usually separate from their mothers in the wet season, when food is easier to find.

If more than one sibling has survived, they stay and hunt together until they reach the age of 2. Then they break up. The young cheetah females usually stay in the same territory as their mothers, while the males travel very long distances. This instinctive behavior may be nature's way of avoiding endogamy (mating between individuals in the same family).

Separation also occurs due to the fact that female and male cheetahs face different problems at this age. While for females the most important is reproductive capacity, for males territory and hunting skill matter.