Cheetah - message report. Cheetah brief information Where does the Asiatic cheetah live?
Asunonux jubatus
Cheetah (English), Gepard (German), Guepard (French), Chita, Guepardo (Spanish).
The English word "cheetah" is derived from the Indian names chita (Hindustani), chitra (Gond), cital (Hindi) or chitraka (Sanskrit), all meaning "spotted" or "speckled". It is sometimes called the hunting leopard.
Several subspecies of cheetah from Asia and Africa have been described, although the differences between them are not entirely clear. Some authors do not distinguish subspecies, but we, following Ellerman & Morrison-Scott, divide the cheetah into two subspecies: Asiatic cheetah(A.j.venaticus), described below, and the African cheetah (A.j.jubatus).
Asunonux jubatus venaticus
Asian Cheetah (English).
DESCRIPTION. Body length including head 110-150 cm (44-59 inches). Tail length 60-80 cm (24-31 in). Height at withers 70-85 cm (28-33 inches). Weight 40-60 kg (90-130 lbs). A large, slender cat whose body tapers towards the rear, with long, slender legs and a small, round head. The pale yellow skin is covered with small black spots, and there are characteristic black facial stripes (“tear stripes”) that extend from the eyes to the mouth. The hair on the neck and withers is thick and forms a small mane. The tail is long, with black cross rings towards the end and a fluffy white tip. The claws are blunt, slightly curved and only partially retractable. Females are smaller than males, more gracefully built and without a mane on the neck, but in all other respects they are similar to males
.HABITAT. Semi-deserts, grass steppes and savanna. Rarely found in forest areas.
SPREADING. It was originally widespread in Southwest Asia from the Arabian Peninsula and Palestine east to Central India and north to Turkmenistan. In all likelihood, disappeared from all of Asia except Iran; may also have survived in parts of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Outside of Asia, the cheetah is distributed throughout most of Africa, except for Central Sahara and tropical forest zones.
TAXONOMIC NOTES. For Asia, three subspecies of cheetah are mentioned: A.j.raddei (Trans-Caspian territories), A.j.venator (India), A.j.venaticus (India). Some authors believe that A.j.venaticus also lives in North Africa, others disagree. All Asian subspecies are considered here together under the priority name venaticus Griffith, 1821.
NOTES. Generally not considered a sport hunted animal. The cheetah is a peaceful and non-aggressive animal towards humans; it was often domesticated and used as a hound for hunting more than 4,300 years ago. They say that domestic cheetahs are very affectionate and playful animals.
STATUS. All cheetahs are listed as endangered by the USDI (1972) and CITES Appendix 1 (1975). The Asian subspecies (A.j.venaticus) is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Laws to protect cheetahs have been passed in almost all Asian countries.
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a carnivore, the most fast mammal from the cat family, and the only modern extant representative of the genus Acinonyx to date. Many wildlife lovers know cheetahs as hunting leopards. This animal differs from most felines in a sufficient number external characteristics and morphological characteristics.
Description and appearance
All cheetahs are quite large and powerful animals with a body length of up to 138-142 cm and a tail length of up to 75 cm.. despite the fact that, compared to other cats, the cheetah’s body is characterized as shorter, the weight of an adult and well-developed individual often reaches 63-65 kg. Relatively thin limbs, not only long, but also very strong, with partially retractable claws.
This is interesting! Cheetah kittens can fully retract their claws into their paws, but only at the age of four months. Older individuals of this predator lose this unusual ability, which is why their claws are immobile.
The long and fairly massive tail has uniform pubescence, and during fast running, this part of the body is used by the animal as a kind of balancer. The head, which is relatively small in size, has a not very pronounced mane. The body is covered with short and thin fur of a yellowish or yellowish-sandy color. In addition to the abdominal part, small dark spots are scattered quite densely across the entire surface of the cheetah’s skin. There are also stripes of black camouflage coloring along the animal's nose.
Cheetah subspecies
According to the results of the research, five well-recognized subspecies of cheetah are known today. One species lives in Asian countries, and the other four species of cheetah are found only in Africa.
The Asiatic cheetah is of greatest interest. About sixty individuals of this subspecies inhabit sparsely populated areas of Iran. According to some reports, several individuals could also survive in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two dozen Asiatic cheetahs are kept in captivity in zoos in different countries.
Important! The difference between the Asian subspecies and the African cheetah are shorter legs, a fairly powerful neck and thick skin.
No less popular is the royal cheetah or the rare mutation Rex, the main difference of which is the presence of black stripes along the back and fairly large and merging spots on the sides. King cheetahs interbreed with common species, and the unusual coloring of the animal is due to a recessive gene, so such a predator is very rare.
There are also cheetahs with very unusual fur coloring. Red cheetahs are known, as well as individuals with a golden color and pronounced dark red spots. Animals of light yellow and yellowish-brown color with pale reddish spots look very unusual.
Extinct species
This large species lived in Europe, which is why it was called the European cheetah. A significant part of the fossil remains of this type of predator were found in France, and date back two million years. Images of the European cheetah are also present in rock paintings in the Shuve cave.
European cheetahs were much larger and more powerful than the modern African species. They had well-defined elongated limbs, as well as large fangs. With a body weight of 80-90 kg, the length of the animal reached one and a half meters. It is assumed that significant body mass was accompanied by large muscle mass, so running speed was an order of magnitude higher than that of modern species.
Range, habitats of cheetahs
Just a few centuries ago, cheetahs could be called a thriving species of the cat family. These mammals inhabited almost the entire territory of Africa and Asia. The subspecies of the African cheetah was distributed from the south of Morocco to the Cape of Good Hope. A significant number of Asiatic cheetahs inhabited India, Pakistan and Iran, combined United Arab Emirates and Israel.
A large population could be found in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria. This mammal was also found in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Currently, cheetahs are almost on the verge of complete extinction, so their distribution area has been greatly reduced.
Cheetah nutrition
Cheetahs are natural predators. In pursuit of its prey, the animal is capable of developing speed more than one hundred kilometers per hour. With the help of their tail, cheetahs balance, and their claws give the animal an excellent opportunity to repeat all the movements of the prey as accurately as possible. Having overtaken the prey, the predator makes a strong strike with its paw and grabs the neck.
The food for the cheetah most often consists of small ungulates, including small antelopes and gazelles. Hares can also become prey, as well as baby warthogs and almost any birds. Unlike most other species of the cat family, the cheetah prefers daytime hunting.
Cheetah lifestyle
Cheetahs are not school animals, and a family pair, consisting of an adult male and a mature female, is formed exclusively during the rutting period, but then very quickly breaks up.
The female leads a solitary life or is engaged in raising offspring. Males also live predominantly alone, but can also unite in unique coalitions. Intragroup relations are usually smooth. Animals purr and lick each other's faces. When meeting adults of different sexes belonging to different groups, cheetahs behave peacefully.
This is interesting! The cheetah belongs to the category of territorial animals and leaves various special marks in the form of excrement or urine.
The size of the hunting territory protected by the female may vary depending on the amount of food and the age of the offspring. Males do not guard one territory for too long. The animal chooses a shelter in an open, fairly visible space. As a rule, the most open area is chosen for the den, but you can find a cheetah’s refuge under thorny acacia bushes or other vegetation. Life expectancy varies from ten to twenty years.
Features of reproduction
To stimulate the ovulation process, the male must pursue the female for some time. As a rule, adult, sexually mature male cheetahs unite in small groups, which most often consist of brothers. Such groups enter into a fight not only for hunting territory, but also for the females located on it. A pair of males can hold such a conquered territory for six months. If there are more individuals, then the territory can be protected for a couple of years or more.
After mating, the female remains pregnant for about three months, after which 2-6 small and completely defenseless kittens are born, which can become very easy prey for any predatory animals, including eagles. The salvation for kittens is the peculiar coloring of their fur, which makes them look like a very dangerous carnivorous predator - the honey badger. The cubs are born blind, covered with short yellow fur with abundant small dark spots on the sides and paws. After a couple of months, the coat completely changes, becomes quite short and stiff, and acquires a color characteristic of the species.
This is interesting! To find kittens in dense vegetation, the female focuses on the mane and tail brush of small cheetahs. The female feeds her cubs until the age of eight months, but the kittens acquire independence only at one year or later.
The cheetah is the most atypical representative of the cat family. The lifestyle and physiology of this animal are so unique that it is classified as a special subfamily. Thus, the cheetah stands apart from other types of cats.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
This animal is medium in size: the cheetah's body length is up to 1.5 m, weight - 40-65 kg. The cheetah's body is streamlined and graceful, its belly is lean, its head is small with short ears, its tail is thin and long. Characteristically, his legs are very high and dry. The claws on the paws are not retractable, like those of all cats, but blunt, like a dog. The cheetah's fur is very short, close-lying, and at the withers there is a mane of coarse black hair. The whole appearance of this animal reveals that it is a sprinter.
The coloring of the cheetah is very similar to the leopard, but the cheetah has two black stripes on its face from the corners of its eyes to its mouth.
Initially, cheetahs lived everywhere in the steppes and semi-deserts of Asia and Africa, but now in Asia, cheetahs have been almost completely exterminated. Now you can see these animals in sufficient numbers only at African continent. Cheetahs inhabit exclusively open spaces, avoiding any dense thickets. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, but males often form groups of 2-3 individuals. In general, the character of these animals is not that of a cat - they easily tolerate each other’s presence, and tamed cheetahs show the devotion of a dog. Unlike most cats, cheetahs hunt exclusively during daylight hours. This is due to the characteristics of food production.
Cheetahs feed on small ungulates - gazelles, antelopes, and less commonly mountain sheep(in the foothills of the Caucasus), hares and birds. Sometimes they dare to attack young wildebeest.
A cheetah caught a baby antelope. Typically, cheetahs do not kill such small prey, but bring it to the cubs for play.
The cheetah tracks its victims almost without hiding; when it comes to a distance of 30-50 m, it lies down and sneaks towards the victim on half-bent legs. As it approaches, it begins to pursue its prey. The cheetah is the absolute world record holder for running speed. In a sprint burst, he effortlessly reaches speeds of 100-110 km/h! When running, the cheetah's flexible spine bends so much that the animal is able to throw its hind legs far forward. At this running speed important role claws play a role, which enhance the grip of the paws on the ground and prevent the cheetah from slipping during a sharp turn. The tail performs an additional stabilizing function: when turning, it is thrown in the direction opposite to the turn, thereby preventing skidding. However, despite all these adaptations, the inertial speed of the cheetah is colossal and in maneuverability it loses to its victims. For a predator, such mistakes are of vital importance, because a cheetah running at the limit of its physiological capabilities is not capable of long-term pursuit. Having not caught up with the victim in the first hundred meters of the distance, he stops the pursuit. Thus, although cheetah victims can run at a speed of no more than 60 km/h, only 20% of attacks are successful.
Cheetahs usually drag their caught prey to a secluded place.
Due to the lack of sharp claws, cheetahs cannot climb trees, like all cats, and are not able to hide prey in branches. This greatly complicates their life, because such successful hunters attract “unscrupulous competitors” in the form of hyenas, lions and leopards. More large predators will not fail to take advantage of the free prey of cheetahs. Cheetahs are inferior to them in strength, and they are also very vulnerable to the slightest injury (after all, it is impossible to rush with a bitten paw), so they never get involved in a fight.
The cheetahs climbed onto a shallow tree trunk to inspect the surroundings. They cannot climb vertical trunks.
During the breeding season, male cheetahs compete with each other for the right to enter a female's territory. Pregnancy lasts 3 months. The female gives birth to 2-4 kittens in a secluded place. Externally, babies are very different from adults: their fur gray and very long.
At first, the babies sit very quietly in the den and wait for the mother to return from the hunt.
Such caution is not unnecessary, because large predators can find and kill the cubs. The female feeds the babies with milk for up to 8 months, and then begins to bring them wounded animals. Young cheetahs practice hunting techniques on such wounded animals.
The female cheetah led the cubs out of the den.
Cheetahs, although dexterous predators, are weak animals. Mortality among young animals reaches 70%. The main enemies of cheetahs are the “formidable trinity” - lions, hyenas and leopards, which attack young animals and take prey from adults. In addition, cheetahs can be injured during hunting by larger animals - wildebeest, zebras, warthogs. At the same time, even relatively minor damage becomes critical, because cheetahs obtain food not by cunning, but thanks to their excellent athletic form.
For humans, the cheetah is not an important hunting object: due to its short fur, the cheetah's skin is inferior in value to other feline species. IN old times people often hunted with cheetahs rather than with cheetahs. Easily tamed, cheetahs were used to hunt gazelles like greyhounds. Such “packs” existed among the Central Asian khans and Indian rajas. Trained animals were of great value, but were not widely used. The fact is that cheetahs are heat-loving animals and cannot stand dampness and low temperatures. Unlike other cats, they do not adapt well to new living conditions, and in captivity they almost do not reproduce. Due to their specific lifestyle, these animals need large areas and the availability of suitable prey, so in densely populated Asian countries they were driven out of their habitats by humans. A few animals have survived only in the remote corners of the Iranian deserts, but they are also threatened with destruction.
Niramin - Dec 14th, 2015
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) lives in savannas and desert landscapes of Africa, as well as in certain regions of Asia. This predator looks like most representatives of the cat family, but is in many ways similar to a dog and even suffers from “canine” diseases. The cheetah's coat, dotted with small dark spots, resembles the coat of a short-haired dog, but has a cream color.
An adult cheetah, like a dog, is not able to retract its claws. Only his cubs have paws like those of a cat, and they can climb trees. The animal's long, strong limbs are similar to those of a dog. Like her, the cheetah pursues prey, but unlike a dog, it develops a speed of more than 100 km/h. An adult cheetah weighing up to 65 kg has a body length of about 140 cm. A massive tail, up to 80 cm long, like a cat’s, allows the animal to maintain balance when running rapidly. During the hunt, the predator approaches the victim like a cat at a minimum distance, after which it instantly takes off, pursuing its prey. The predator has excellent eyesight. Therefore, it looks out for its prey for a long time.
The cheetah feeds mainly on young ungulates, mainly gazelles and antelopes, birds and hares, as well as African wild boars and warthogs.
The hunting abilities of this sprinter have long been used by humans. Unlike many predators, the cheetah is easily tamed. He literally becomes attached to a person and gets along with him. In ancient times, the rulers of India, Assyria and the ancient Egyptians went hunting with trained cheetahs. Images of a tame cheetah can also be seen on the frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. IN Ancient Rus' such cheetahs were called pardus.
Nowadays, the number of these dexterous predators has sharply decreased. For many years, people not only used the “services” of the cheetah when hunting, but also destroyed the animal themselves because of its beautiful fur. Currently, these animals are preserved only in small areas of Africa. They have almost disappeared in Asia. IN last years The cheetah is listed in the Red Book and taken under protection.
Look beautiful photos the fastest and graceful predator- cheetah:
Photo: Female cheetah with kittens. 
Photo: A couple of young cheetahs. 
Photo: Cheetah tail as a stabilizer. 
Photo: A young cheetah trying to climb a tree. 
Photo: A cheetah chases a young gazelle. 
Photo: Cheetah in a jump. 
Video: Cheetah:Fatal Instinct-Cheetah:Fatal Instinct,NatGeoWild
Video: Cheetah shocked tourists
Video: Friendly Cheetah.affectionate cheetah
Video: Cheetah hunting with its owner
Video: Cheetah runs at a speed of 120 km per hour
Cheetahs are part large family felines, and although they cannot climb trees, they can move faster than any other land animal. Cheetahs can accelerate from 0 to almost 100 km per hour in 5.95 seconds, their maximum speed about 113 km/h. Cheetahs are built for speed. The flexible spine allows their front legs to reach far forward, covering a distance of 20 to 22 feet (over 6 m) in a single leap, much like a racehorse. Cheetahs are above the ground more than half the time while running. Their hard claws provide them with additional traction when pushing. However, these animals quickly get tired and are forced to slow down in order to gain strength to continue the chase.
These felines have adapted to hot climates and drink water only once every three to four days. One of the characteristics of cheetahs is the long, black lines that run from the inner corner of each eye to the mouth. They are commonly called "tear lines" and scientists believe they help protect a cheetah's eyes from the harsh sun. This predator has amazing vision; During the day, he can spot prey 5 km away. However, he sees poorly in the dark. Predators such as leopards and lions usually hunt at night, while cheetahs hunt only during the day. Given their body mass and blunt claws, they are not well equipped to fend for themselves or their prey. When larger or more aggressive animals approach a cheetah in wildlife, he gives back what he caught to avoid a fight.
Cheetahs can’t even growl, but they purr the loudest! Of the large family of cats, cheetahs are the closest to domestic cats; they weigh only 45 - 60 kg. IN Ancient Egypt Cheetahs were considered pets, they were tamed and trained for hunting. This tradition migrated to the ancient Persians and to India, where it was continued by Indian princes in the twentieth century. Cheetahs continued to be associated with royal family and elegance, they have long been used as pets and for hunting. Cheetah lovers also included Genghis Khan and Charles the Great, who boasted that he kept cheetahs in his palace. The ruler of the Mughal Empire Ak-bar (1556 -1605) kept about 1000 cheetahs. As recently as the 1930s, the Emperor of Ethiopia was often photographed walking with a cheetah on a leash. Even in modern world they are tame. Once in captivity at an early age, they lose their hunting instinct.
Cheetahs are critically endangered and their worldwide numbers have declined from approximately 100,000 in 1900 to 9,000-12,000 today. Thanks to research by scientists, it is even possible to help increase the number of individuals in certain areas. In Namibia, cheetahs come close to human habitation, hunting livestock, since hunting in the wild is more difficult.
As a result, cheetahs have developed diseases in domestic animals, and there have been cases of cheetahs being killed in order to protect livestock. The solution to this problem was the Anatolian Shepherd, which scared away predators, forcing them to disperse over vast territories in search of food, thereby facilitating the birth of new families in the wild. Similar studies are being conducted wherever cheetahs live or have become extinct. Basically, it was decided to withdraw wild cats in captivity and eventually released into the wild.
Selection beautiful pictures and a photo with cheetahs.
