Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775)

Classification:

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Felidae
Genus	Acinonyx
Species	Acinonyx jubatus

 Also known as: Hunting Leopard

 Description:

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a beautiful big cat is the fastest land mammal in the world. Its long-legged frame supports body and has deep chest cavity, small waist and very flexible spine. Unlike other cats, cheetah’s claws are not fully retractable. The large nostrils permit greater amounts of air to enter into lungs, and the tail is principally long to offer extra balance. Coat is yellowish, tan or tawny colour with black spots on the upper body and under body is paler, whitish colour. There are numerous black rings on the tail of the cheetah. The small head, high-set eyes, small, flattened ears and is instantly recognizable by the black ‘tear lines’ running from inside of each eye to mouth. Scientists believe that these lines help protect the cheetah’s eyes from harsh sun and help them to see long distance.

Length: 112 – 135 cm. Tail length: 66 – 84 cm. Male weight: 43 kg. Female weight: 38 kg.

Sub-species

In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group recognized these four subspecies of cheetah.

1. Southeast African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus raineye)
2. Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus)
3. Northeast African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii)
4. Northwest African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki)

Habitat

Cheetahs can be found in both the Middle East and eastern and southern Africa. They mainly live in grasslands and savannas. though they can also be found in other habitats like open valleys and mountainous regions. These creatures require a habitat with abundant vegetation, such as long grass or shrubs, to hide from predators.

Diet

Cheetah will stalk they prey, trying to stay unnoticed in cover, and approach as close as possible also, they can also lie hidden in cover and wait for the prey to come nearer and then start the chase. The cheetah is agile predator, and it uses its unbelievable speed to out-run its prey it is carnivorous and hunt medium sized antelopes which make up the majority of the cheetah’s diet. They also hunt little chinkara deer, wild goats, blackbucks, wild hares, wild boars and birds. Males hunting together in union often select larger species such as wildebeest. There is no record of cheetahs killing any human. Cheetahs in the Kalahari Desert also feed on citron melons for their water content

Reproduction

 

Cheetah is thought to be the most sociable of the big cats. Siblings stay together for around 6 months after leaving the mother, and brothers will often remain together for life. Female cheetahs become sexually mature at around 2 years old and can give birth at any time of year to 4-8 blind, helpless cubs. The gestational period lasts 90 to 95 days. The high risk of predation by lions, hyenas, and even baboons is a major factor in the high mortality rate of young cheetahs.

 

Conservation status

According to IUCN: Vulnerable (VU)

Amazing facts:

• The cheetah is the fastest land mammal on our planet, reaching speeds of up to 87 kilometers per hour.
• Cheetah takes only 3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h
• The common name ‘cheetah’ is derived from Hindustani Urdu word Chita which means ‘spotted’ or ‘sprinkled’.
• Cheetah uses facial expressions to show their mood.
• Cheetah cannot roar like loins it meows like a cat.

Want to study more about wild animals visit: https://wildanimalsland.com/

 

Bibliography:

 

Cheetah – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/219/0

ADW: Acinonyx jubatus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)